Mayor prepares for 12th director appointment, at PortMiami

After 33 years in the county, 23 years serving in various positions at PortMiami and seven as Director, Juan Kuryla is to leave office and join Norwegian Cruises Line Holdings as senior vice president, port development and construction management on Jan. 17. The search for a new director is now to begin while Deputy Port Director Hydi Webb is to take the role of interim director.

“Juan has been an outstanding port leader and the county has benefited tremendously from his hard work and dedication to growing PortMiami,” wrote Mayor Daniella Levine Cava in a memorandum to commissioners.

Since taking office in November 2020, Mayor Levine Cava has appointed 11 directors:

■Edward Marzquez, director of the Finance Department (reappointment in November 2020), in a joint appointment by the mayor and Clerk of Courts Harvey Ruvin.

■Catherimarty Burgos, director of the Juvenile Services Department (December 2020).

■Lourdes Gomez, director of the Regulatory and Economic Resources Department (December 2020).

■David Clodfelter, director of the Office of Management and Budget (March 2021).

■Roy Coley, director of Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (May 2021).

■Margaret Brisbane, director of the Information Technology Department (May 2021).

■Alex Muñoz, director of the Internal Services Department (May 2021).

■Eulois Cleckley, director and CEO of the Department of Transportation and Public Works (May 2021).

■Sonia Grice, director of the Community Action and Human Services Department (August 2021).

■Ralph Cutié, director of the Aviation Department (September 2021).

■Bronwyn Stanford, director of the Animal Services Department (November 2021).

Although it is still to soon to tell what the mayor is looking for in the new port director, previous appointments show a tendency toward promotions within the county. Only directors Coley, Cleckley and Standford came from previous work experiences outside the county.

Mr. Kuryla started his career in 1987 working for the Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation Department while he was still in college. He moved to the county’s Finance Department in 1993, and later went to the Public Works Department’s Road, Bridge and Canal Maintenance Division. In 1996, Mr. Kuryla was promoted to work in the County Manager’s Office as an assistant administrator, and two years later he began his extensive career at PortMiami as assistant to the port director.

It was in 2014 when former Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez appointed him director of Port Miami, where he has been responsible for overseeing operations and capital development for the cruise capital in the world. In 2019, 6.8 million passengers passed through PortMiami’s terminals and the port accommodated 2,246 cargo and cruise vessels, the website of the port says.

He led the port amid the challenges Covid-19 brought to both the freight and cruise industries, and guided the port through the PortMiami 2035 Master Plan developed in December 2011.

As vice president for commercial development, construction, and private island operations for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCL), he’ll report to Daniel Farkas, NCL’s executive vice president and general counsel.

“Juan is the ideal candidate for this newly created role and his extensive experience at PortMiami across diverse functions including but not limited to operations, finance, business development, sustainability and government relations will be invaluable in further strengthening all aspects of our Port Development and Construction Management functions,” said Mr. Farkas in a statement.

Mr. Kuryla is not the first local who got a leadership position within the cruise line. In October, Norwegian announced the appointment of David Herrera as chief consumer sales and marketing officer.

Mr. Herrera had been with NCL’s parent, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., since 2015, after joining as a senior advisor in 2012. Prior to that, he was the founder of Eastside Financial Group, CEO of Bancroft Insurance Group and vice president of Bernstein Private Wealth Management.

Christine Da Silva was appointed senior vice president of branding and communications of NCL in October as well, after nearly four years within the company.