Avalon City Manager David Jinkens appointed long time Assistant Harbor Master James “JJ” Poindexter, to the position of harbor master on Nov. 9. Poindexter has served as the interim harbor master since the retirement of Brian Bray on July 5, 2017.
Avalon City Manager David Jinkens appointed long time Assistant Harbor Master James “JJ” Poindexter, to the position of harbor master on Nov. 9. Poindexter has served as the interim harbor master since the retirement of Brian Bray on July 5, 2017.
“As the acting Harbor Master, JJ has shown a tremendous amount of poise over the last four months,” said Jinkens. “He is experienced in Avalon’s Harbor and has a deep love for the community. JJ has a sincere eagerness to be of service and I know he will be successful as our Harbor Master. He is backed up and supported by an excellent group of supervisors and harbor employees who work as a team for the safe and efficient operation of the harbor and our City,” added Jinkens.
After the announcement of Brian Bray’s retirement, the city of Avalon conducted an international search for his replacement. According to city officials, the hiring pool was highly competitive and contained some of the most qualified, well-rounded and exemplary watermen from around the globe. In all, 35 individuals applied for the harbor master job. For that group, nine made it to the first interview. Four advanced to the second, and final, interview.
Two professional interview panels were assembled that included harbor masters from two California cities, law enforcement officials, Baywatch, and city department leaders. Poindexter’s experience, including more than 32 years working within the Harbor Department, distinguished him from the other applicants and made him uniquely suited for the position.
During his tenure Poindexter has served five different harbor masters and has performed the duties of the Assistant Harbor Master since 1998.
“It is an honor to have been selected for this position,” said Poindexter. “Avalon Harbor could never be run by one man. I plan to impress on our team, that if we are going to make this Harbor the best in the world, we need to do it together as a team. I look forward to the challenge and opportunity to continue to contribute to the Avalon Harbor Department and City of Avalon.”
