Berger elected chair of New Orleans port, Public Belt Railroad

The Port of New Orleans Board of Commissioners last week elected Darryl Berger chairman.

The commissioners also serve as directors of the New Orleans Public Belt Corp. (NOPB), a port subsidiary and operator of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad.

Also elected were William Langenstein III as vice chairman and Charles Ponstein as secretary-treasurer.

Berger joined the port and NOPB boards in February 2017 when he was appointed by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards. Berger is founder and chairman of The Berger Co. Inc. and a real estate investor, developer and financier. 

As chairman, Berger succeeds Tara Hernandez, who will continue to serve as a commissioner until her five-year term ends in July 2021.

Berger praised Hernandez's work as chair for advancing critically important initiatives.

"I look forward to continuing her positive vision and focusing on preparing [the port] for future growth. Together, with my fellow commissioners and port leadership, we will also continue to successfully navigate through the challenges we face due to COVID-19 impacts," said Berger in a press release.