The Oregon State Senate confirmed Gov. John Kitzhaber's nomination of Tom Tsuruta as a new Port of Portland Commissioner in December 2012.

A Washington County resident, Tsuruta currently is professor and executive in residence at Marylhurst University and also serves as a senior adviser to Aeon Co. Ltd., a $60 billion-a-year global retail conglomerate based in Tokyo, Japan.

Prior to his current role with Aeon, Tsuruta served as executive vice president and general manager, senior vice president, and as vice president of Aeon USA Inc., a US subsidiary of Aeon Co., Ltd.

He currently serves on the board of Aeon USA Inc. as well as on the boards of Agentrics, LLC and OnPoint Credit Union. He also is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors, the United States Tennis Association, the Board of Visitors of Northwestern School of Law and the Bordeaux Wine Enthusiast Club of America.

Past board memberships include Talbots Inc., a public company listed on the NYSE and WWRE, a business to business exchange owned and operated by a number of large global retailers including Ahold, Carrefour, Kroger, Safeway, Sears, Tesco, Aeon, Lotte, Walgreens and CVS.

Tsuruta has a BA in English, and received his JD from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College.

"Tom brings a wealth of experience both as a businessman and as an advisor to businesses and nonprofits across the country," said Governor Kitzhaber. "His connections to Japan, one of Oregon's most important trading partners, is also welcome, and I look forward to his service."

"Now is the time in my life when I have a desire to give back," said Tsuruta. "This city has given me so much over the years, particularly during my post-baccalaureate and graduate school years, providing me with a good foundation to which I attribute much of my successful and enjoyable international business experience of the past 20 plus years. I hope to be a positive addition to the Commission and contribute to the Port's business performance and the critical role it plays in our region's economy."

Tsuruta will replace Commissioner Ken Allen who has served on the Commission since 2004 and whose current term has expired.

The nine-member commission sets Port policy during its monthly meetings. Commissioners are unpaid volunteers who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Oregon Senate.