NEW ORLEANS—March 25, 2021—The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans selected new officers with the election of William H. Langenstein, III as Chairman, Charles H. Ponstein as Vice Chairman and Jack C. Jensen, Jr. as Secretary-Treasurer during the March 25 monthly Board meeting.
Langenstein joined the Board in February 2018 when he was appointed by Gov. John Bel Edwards. He succeeds Darryl D. Berger whose term as Chairman expired this month. Berger will continue to serve on the Board as a commissioner until his five-year term ends in February 2022.
With the alignment of the Port of New Orleans and the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad in February 2018, and in accordance with La R.S. 33:4530 et seq., Port Commissioners also serve on the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Commission. Langenstein will serve as Chairman, Ponstein as Vice Chairman and Berger as Secretary-Treasurer.
“Thank you to Commissioner Berger for his service and leadership on this Board. He held this position with the utmost poise and leadership, particularly during these challenging times of the pandemic,” said Langenstein. “I am honored to begin my service as Chairman, and I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow commissioners, Port leadership and our partners to secure the critical infrastructure and opportunities necessary to keep Louisiana and the Port NOLA gateway competitive well into the future.”
He brings a wealth of experience from his legal career to the boards he has served on throughout the years and is a respected leader within the Greater New Orleans business community. Langenstein is one of Louisiana’s leading tax, corporate and transaction attorneys at Chaffe, McCall. He is an honorary consul to the Republic of Korea. He has previously served as Chairman to several other boards including WYES-TV and the New Orleans Board of Trade.
Langenstein earned a Juris Doctorate from Loyola University New Orleans, received his Bachelor of Science in accounting from Louisiana State University and is a 2004 graduate of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. He is a board-certified tax attorney, a licensed title insurance agent and an inactive certified public accountant.
Langenstein is a member of the New Orleans Economic Development Advisory Committee and the Louisiana Children’s Museum Early Learning Village Steering Committee. He also serves on several boards, including Greater New Orleans Inc., the World Trade Center New Orleans (Transportation Committee), New Orleans Board of Trade and the G.N.O. Educational Television Foundation. Langenstein is a former member of the National Kidney Foundation and has served or is currently serving on several corporate boards including Koerner Capital LLC; IBERIABANK Corporation; Geocent LLC; Kavanagh Family Foundation; Maritime Holdings LLC; and Intermarine LLC.
Langenstein has received many awards throughout his professional career including being selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law and Business Organizations, City Business Leadership in Law Honoree and a Top Lawyer by New Orleans Magazine.
The Port NOLA and NOPB Commission Boards consist of seven members. They are unsalaried and serve five-year staggered terms. The Governor of Louisiana appoints members from a list of three nominations submitted by local civic, labor, education and maritime groups. The Board reflects the Port’s three-parish jurisdiction, with two members from Jefferson, four from Orleans and one from St. Bernard. Commissioners Jensen and Joseph F. Toomy represent Jefferson Parish; Chairman Langenstein, Commissioner Berger, Commissioner Tara C. Hernandez and Commissioner Walter J. Leger, Jr. represent Orleans Parish; and Secretary-Treasurer Ponstein represents St. Bernard Parish.
