Gus Hein

• Mid-Pacific Gateway Director
• U.S. Maritime Administration
• https://www.maritime.dot.gov/

A native of Ohio, who grew up in Long Beach, CA, Gus Hein began his professional career in 1988 as a Legislative Assistant to U.S. Congressman Glenn M. Anderson where he provided leadership in economic and business development policy.  After returning to Southern California Mr. Hein served as a Government Affairs Manager and Board Liaison at the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California representing both agencies to federal, state, and local government bodies and regulatory agencies as well as business, civic, and community organizations.  In 1997 he joined the executive management team at the Port of Long Beach as both the Executive Officer to the Board and Director of Government Affairs.  He served as a key advisor on Port issues coming before the Board.

In September 2007, Mr. Hein founded Global Business Advocates, a professional maritime consulting firm specializing in international business development, strategic communications, and governing board relations.  He has extensive international relations experience having executed more than 95 foreign trade missions to inspect port facilities, confer with government officials, and market clients throughout Asia, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East.

In his current role, Mr. Hein serves as the Gateway Director for the Mid-Pacific Region for the U.S. Maritime Administration. His responsibilities include promoting economic growth; mitigating port and highway congestions; environmental compliance; support shipbuilding; and emergency response.

The Mid-Pacific Gateway region encompasses a portion of the Southwestern United States and the Mid-Pacific to include the states of Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah, and the U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands as well as for reporting purposes, commercial activity on Mexico’s Pacific Coast.

Mr. Hein is also a Navy Reserve Officer and veteran of Afghanistan. His broad range reserve staff assignments include the U.S. Strategic Command, the Maritime Civil Affairs and Security Training Command, the U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Transportation Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan.

Mr. Hein has been recognized at all levels of government for his work on behalf of displaced veterans.  He served for 14 years as Chairman and coordinator of the Long Beach Stand Down program which assisted over 9000 homeless and displaced veterans and for which he was honored by the U.S. Small Business Administration as the “Veteran Advocate of the Year.”

Mr. Hein attended Loyola Marymount University and California State University of Long Beach where he graduated with a B.A. in Political Science.  He holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and has completed certificate coursework in Global Logistics at CSULB and Professional Military Development at the Naval War College.  While in college, Mr. Hein was a top two-sport athlete in baseball and swimming.