Michael J. Vigneron Elected President of ILA’s Atlantic Coast District; James Stolpinski Re-elected Secretary-Treasurer & Bernard Dudley Slated for New Elected Post as General Vice President; Eight New Vice Presidents Elected
NORTH BERGEN, NJ – (July 27, 2015) Michael J. Vigneron, who began his career as a chassis mechanic at Global Terminals on the New Jersey waterfront in 1979, now holds the top position in the Atlantic Coast District of the International Longshoremen’s Association, following his election as President on Thursday, July 16th, 2015, at the ACD’s 35th Quadrennial Convention held at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Vigneron replaces Dennis A. Daggett, who nominated Vigneron for the top post as the ACD leader. Dennis Daggett did not run for re-election as ACD President and was later elected International Executive Vice President at the ILA’s 54th Quadrennial Convention held a week after the ACD conclave.
“Dennis and Harold, thank you very much, you’ve been there my whole life and I’ll be there for you,” said Vigneron after his election as President, referring to Dennis Daggett, the outgoing ACD President and Harold J. Daggett, International ILA President, who seconded Vigneron’s nomination for president. Vigneron went on to thank the leaders of his home local, ILA Local 1804-1, saying “I don’t like to brag but we think we have the best local in the ILA.”
James Stolpinski was re-elected to a second term as ACD Secretary-Treasurer and thanked delegates for their continued support and trust in him.
William “Bernard” Dudley made ACD history as the first elected officer to hold the position of the District’s General Vice President. Previously, the General Vice President was selected from among the ACD Executive Board’s Vice Presidents.
When casting the unanimous ballot for the election of Dudley as General Vice President, Dennis Daggett proclaimed: “This is a day I’ve been waiting for a long, long time.”
“I just got blessed so there is a God in heaven,” said Bernard Dudley. “I’m so honored to fulfill the duties of ACD General Vice President and uphold the faith you have in me.”
Nine current ACD Vice Presidents were re-elected to their posts: K. Owen Boyle from St. John, New Brunswick; Bernard O’Donnell from Boston and New England Ports; Andre Joseph from the Great Lakes; William Hennessey with United Marine Division; John Daggett, James Cocchia, and David Cicalese from New York and New Jersey; Larry Bachtell from Hampton Roads, Virginia and Richard Krueger from Baltimore.
Rounding out the new ACD Board were newly elected Vice Presidents: Albert Batten from Montreal, Quebec; Frank Agosta from Brooklyn, New York; Herbert Hall from Newark, New Jersey; Captain Steven E. Werse of the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots; Carlos Sanchez Ortiz from Puerto Rico; Brian Witiw from Philadelphia; Richard Suarez from Newark; and Michael J. Baker of the Great Lakes.
The loudest cheers for the newly elected Vice Presidents went to Carlos Sanchez Ortiz, President of ILA Local 1740 in San Juan, Puerto Rico from the hundreds of ACD guests who crowed the Caribe Hilton convention hall to see their popular local officer join the ACD top board. Carlos Sanchez Ortiz had opened the 35th ACD Quadrennial Convention on Tuesday, July 14th serving as Temporary Convention Chairman and introducing the Convention Chairman Dennis Daggett.
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