Just 18 months into the job, Port of Long Beach Executive Director J. Christopher Lytle announced Thursday that he will resign to take the lead administration job at the Port of Oakland.
Having risen in the Long Beach port's ranks, Lytle took its top job in November, 2011. The Port issued the following announcement, in part:
"Lytle will remain at Long Beach until mid-July, and is expected to begin his new job in Oakland shortly thereafter.Lytle, who first joined the Port of Long Beach in 2006 as a managing director, was promoted to Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer in 2008. He became the Port’s top executive after the retirement of longtime executive director Richard D. Steinke.
“'The Board, Port staff and our customers will miss Chris, and we wish him well in his next endeavor,' said Susan E. Anderson Wise, President of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners. 'He has served admirably in all his roles here at the Port, and a lot of great things have been accomplished while he’s served as our Executive Director.
"As commissioners, our top priority is the stability and continuity of leadership at the Port of Long Beach. We will move quickly to identify the very top candidates to be our next Executive Director."
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