[ Port of Long Beach Announces New Director of Govern... ]

Port of Long Beach Announces New Director of Government Affairs

The Port of Long Beach of Harbor Commissioners appointed Gus Hein to t
he position of director of government affairs. That position was forme
rly held by A. Richard Aschieris, who left the Port of Long of Anacort
es, Washington. Hein is expected to assume the job in early December.
Hein is currently the government relations officer for the Metropolita
n Water District of Southern California. Previously, he served as the
area manager of Local Government and Community Affairs for the Souther
n California Rapid Transit District of Los Angeles County. In those tw
o capacities, Hein served as liaison to all local governmental bodies
and regulatory agencies, and business, civic and social organizations.
“Mr. Hein comes to the port with very relevant experience in governme
nt affairs,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Carmen O. Pe
res, noting that Hein had a keen understanding of state, local and nat
ional issues.
Hein served on former Congressman Gleun M. Anderson’s staff between 1
988 and 1991, first as district assistant for the Long Beach office an
d then as legislative assistant in Washington, D.C. As a district assi
stant, he represented the congressman to constituents in Long Beach an
d San Pedro and developed and managed congressional staff for the dist
rict.
As legislative assistant, he monitored the process and progress of leg
islation in public-policy areas, including environmental and business
legislation; family, child and senior citizen’s issues; veterans’ af
fairs; labor and housing; homelessness; education; and civil service.
Hein has a long-standing relationship with Long Beach and its surroun
ding communities. He chaired the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce T
ransportation Industry Task Force, which addressed retraining for loca
l residents impacted by the loss of aerospace and transportation jobs.
He also served the Corporate Advisory Board for the Aerospace Technol
ogy Magnet Program and was a board member for the Torrance Area Chambe
r of Commerce.
Hein has been lauded on the local, regional and federal levels for his
goverment affairs efforts. In addition to many civic and congressiona
l commendations, certificates and tribues, Hein won in 1996 the Small
Business Advocate of the Year award from the U.S. Small Business Admin
istration.
A resident of Long Beach, Hein is a graduate of California State Unive
rsity, Long Beach, who also holds a master’s degree in Business Admin
istration from Pepperdino University.