Ports of Indiana appoints Coda CEO

The Ports of Indiana has named Vanta Coda II chief executive officer effective July 1. He will succeed Rich Cooper, who is retiring after 16 years leading the organization.

Coda has 25 years of experience in maritime and multimodal operations on the Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico and Ohio River. Most recently, he served as executive director of the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, which is the busiest port district on the Great Lakes, according to a Ports of Indiana press release.

While at Duluth, Coda led the completion of $24 million in infrastructure renewal projects, opened the CN Duluth Intermodal Terminal and launched the Duluth Cargo Connect Initiative.

Coda began his career in Chicago with the Illinois Central Railroad, eventually becoming director of marketing and sales following its merger with CN. Having played a key role in CN's strategic planning for chemical transport, he was hired by the Westlake Group of Companies in 2000 to manage logistics for its vinyl subsidiary.

Five years later, Coda became regional sales director of American Commercial Lines. He also served as fuel transportation director for Dynegy Inc. and global logistics director for Nabors Industries.

Cooper has served as CEO of the Ports of Indiana since 2005, after being hired as chief operating officer in 2001. Under his leadership, the ports experienced unprecedented growth. All three Indiana ports recently achieved new records for cargo shipments.