Director of Marketing & Public Information, Port of Hueneme
A third generation Oxnard native, Will spent two years as a higher education volunteer in South Korea with the United States Peace Corps and holds an MA degree in Comparative & International Politics from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Conversant in Mandarin Chinese, he also studied at the National Political Science University in Taiwan and is a graduate of California State University at Chico where in 2011, he was inducted into Chico’s Athletic Hall of Fame for football.
In 1978, capitalizing on his excellent Mandarin, Will began escorting various North American groups visiting China, making him among some of the earliest North Americans to step behind the Bamboo Curtain. Will has lectured aboard cruise ships calling on Asian destinations along the Pacific Rim and spent 15 years as a shore excursion specialist with some of the world’s most prestigious cruise lines.
Today Will represents the Port of Hueneme as Director of Marketing & Public Information. He promotes Ventura County’s quintessential niche port to, among others, the fresh produce and auto carrier industries and manages the Port’s grantee status of Foreign Trade Zone # 205. Will has a deep knowledge of the Port’s operations, intrinsic value, and fascinating history that he is excited to share with a wide audience. Will is a sitting member of the District Export Council of southern California a federal appointment.
An asset to his community thanks to his tireless service, Will is an Executive Board member of the Port Hueneme/South Oxnard Neighborhood for Learning; a member of Cal State University Channel Islands Business Advisory Council and the university’s International Affairs Advisory Board; and an Executive Board Member of the Santa-to-the-Sea Half Marathon. He also serves on the Outreach Committee of the Ventura County Workforce Investment Board; the Ventura College Business Division Advisory Board; and the Land Use Committee of the Oxnard Chamber of Commerce. A Board member of the Port Hueneme Chamber of Commerce, Will is also an Oxnard Ambassador and former Ambassador of the Year and is active with the Oxnard Noontime Lions. Will was recently named 2014 ‘Citizen of the Year’ at the annual Port Hueneme Chamber of Commerce community awards banquet.