PORT’S NORMAN ARIKAWA NAMED 2019 OUTSTANDING CITIZEN DIPLOMAT

International Visitors Council of Los Angeles Honors Trade
Development Manager

SAN PEDRO, Calif. – June 7, 2019 –   Norman Arikawa, Trade Development Manager at the Port of Los Angeles, has been honored as the 2019 Outstanding Citizen Diplomat by the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles (IVCLA).   Arikawa has devoted his 40-plus year career at the Port to building trade relations both here and abroad.

“Norman exemplifies outstanding citizen diplomacy through the meetings he has arranged over the years between IVCLA’s international influencers and his colleagues at the Port, sharing information and ideas on issues such as trade policy, security, safety and environmental issues,” said Janet Elliott, President of IVCLA. “He has consistently shared his expertise by volunteering with many community organizations and committees such as the World Trade Week Committee and Sister Cities of Los Angeles, particularly the LA/Nagoya Sister Cities Affiliation.”

Arikawa’s responsibilities at the Port of Los Angeles include developing business outreach programs to increase inbound and outbound trade. He works closely with the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of International Trade, coordinates visits by foreign officials to the Port, and works closely with the IVCLA on trade development matters. Arikawa helped develop the Trade Connect program for small and medium-sized businesses, which educates companies on importing and exporting resources. The program received the Presidential “E Star” Award in 2013.

Arikawa served as co-chair of the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce Global Initiatives Committee, is a member of the Chamber’s World Trade committee, and a board member of the Los Angeles Regional Export Council. He also served as advisor to the Brazil California Chamber of Commerce and is an Advisory Board member of the US-Africa Opportunity Network.

Established in 1980 to increase international understanding and cooperation, the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles (IVCLA) arranges people-to-people exchanges between international influencers and the citizens of the Los Angeles region. Each year IVCLA arranges professional meetings, cultural visits and home hospitality for nearly one thousand policy and opinion leaders from more than 100 countries.
 
The Port of Los Angeles is America’s premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovatively strategic and sustainable operations that benefit Southern California’s economy and quality of life. North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $297 billion in trade during 2018. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs in the five-county Southern California region.