MDOT - Maryland Department of Transportation
06/23/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/23/2026 06:28
Maryland Transportation Secretary Announces Leadership Transition at the Port of Baltimore
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Maryland Department of Transportation Office of Public Affairs
Effective mid-August, Deputy Secretary Samantha J. Biddle will serve as Interim Executive Director
HANOVER, MD (June 23, 2026) - Maryland Transportation Secretary Katie Thomson announced today that Maryland Port Administration (MPA) Executive Director Jonathan Daniels will be leaving the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore. Effective mid-August, Deputy Secretary Samantha J. Biddle will serve as Interim Executive Director while a nationwide search is underway to permanently fill the position.
Since joining the Port of Baltimore in February 2024, Executive Director Daniels guided the state-owned, public marine terminals through major milestones including the ongoing recovery from the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024. In 2025, the Port of Baltimore recorded its second-best year to date, handling approximately 50 million tons of cargo and setting a new annual record for containers. Baltimore also finished first among all U.S. ports in handling roll-on/roll-off farm and construction machinery and imported forest products, while transporting the second-highest number of autos in the nation.
"Jonathan Daniels was critical to our ability to steer the Port of Baltimore through the challenges that followed the collapse of the Key Bridge," said Maryland Transportation Secretary Katie Thomson. "Along with my colleagues in the Moore-Miller Administration, I'm grateful for the work he did to help the Port not only recover, but grow to new heights, and wish him the best in his new role. I'm pleased that Deputy Secretary Biddle has agreed to take over as Interim Executive Director of the Maryland Port Administration. Her wealth of experience will be crucial as we seek to bring new business to the Port."
Executive Director Daniels will become Port Director and CEO of PortMiami, one of the largest cruise passenger ports in the world. Prior to leading the Port of Baltimore, Executive Director Daniels served as chief executive officer and port director at Port Everglades in Broward County, Florida. He has also led the Mississippi State Port Authority, the Port of Oswego (New York), the Port of Greater Baton Rouge (Louisiana) and the Eastport Port Authority in Maine.
"After a lot of reflection as well as careful thought and consideration, I made a very difficult decision to step down as Maryland Port Administration executive director and take the next step in my career," said MPA Executive Director Daniels. "While my strong interest in the cruise industry and PortMiami's strength as the cargo gateway of the Americas made this new opportunity difficult to refuse, I've said before that the Maryland Port Administration is one of the best port organizations I've been a part of, and the same goes for our greater supply chain team, including our International Longshoremen's Association, terminal operators, truckers, pilots, and tug operators. I will always think well of my time leading the Maryland Port Administration and wish the entire Port of Baltimore continued growth and success."
Samantha Biddle joined the Maryland Department of Transportation in 2014 and has served as deputy transportation secretary since 2023, including serving as acting secretary in 2025. She has spent two decades in the transportation industry, serving in both the public and private sector. During Deputy Secretary Biddle's tenure with the department, she has sought to build consensus among stakeholders and create a people-based strategy that focuses on safety, resilient infrastructure systems, improved delivery of services and innovation. She holds a bachelor's degree in geography from the University of Delaware and is an American Institute Certified Planner.
Among all U.S. ports, Baltimore ranks 10th for foreign cargo value and 11th for total cargo tonnage. The Port of Baltimore is also one of Maryland's leading economic engines, generating more than 20,300 direct jobs, with nearly 273,000 jobs in Maryland connected to the Port of Baltimore.
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