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RANDY MAY NAMED PROPELLER CLUB OF PORT CANAVERAL
2025 MARITIME PERSON OF THE YEAR

The Propeller Club of Port Canaveral has named Randy May as Maritime Person of the Year for 2025. Since 1981, Randy has been an innovative leader in marine, rail, and truck terminal operations. His focus has consistently been on quality customer service while providing cost-effective services. He has an instinct for finding ways to improve operational efficiencies while prioritizing safety. His first firm was R&L May Steamship Agency, Inc., a ship agency and stevedoring firm that began in Port Canaveral, Florida. He also started a transportation company, a hold cleaning and ship repair company, a Customs House Brokerage, and ship supply company. Randy quickly saw a need at the port for a cargo terminal operator to handle freight ranging from heavy equipment exports to import and export of construction materials.

In 1994 Randy added two of his top employees as business partners. They officially renamed the business to Ambassador Services, Inc. The company quickly expanded to include ports in Jacksonville, Port Everglades, Tampa, and Philadelphia, with headquarters in Port Canaveral. Ambassador Services, Inc. grew from providing agency and stevedoring services only to include marine terminal operations, rail yard operations, warehousing, DOD contracts, and truck fleet operations. They also provided direct dockside repair and maintenance of vessels up to 74,000 GRT. Railside operations expanded from Cocoa, FL to Jacksonville, and Ft. Pierce. While expansions were achieved in support of continued cargo growth, the firm learned to react swiftly to downturns by industry, enabling them to grow beyond construction materials into agricultural products, ro/ro exports, and more. Randy is quick to give credit for ASI’s success to his workers and team members which led to an employee count of over 200.

Throughout the years, Randy led all new construction planning and design and materials acquisitions. He was also directly responsible for personnel supervision, preparing vessel charter contracts, and business development. He is well known for his service as a liaison between ship owners and/or charterers and government officials. He has assured compliance with governmental requirements in the U.S. and the Bahamas working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, and others. Among the many firsts in his career, Randy started the non-union stevedoring movement on Florida’s East Coast. By 1983, his efforts enabled his non-union stevedoring firm to offer lower cargo and cruise ship passenger rates to their customers.

Port Canaveral is the 2^nd largest cruise port in the world. Their current success is grounded in efforts of over 30 years ago when Premier Cruise Lines chose Port Canaveral as their homeport. Randy developed shoreside support services for Premier Cruise Lines offering non-union dockside services, warehousing, and ship provisioning. He also constructed and owned the 70,000 sq ft. office building that became Premier’s headquarters.

Continuing his dedication to the port and Brevard County, today Randy owns and operates multiple warehouses and office buildings both within and outside of Port Canaveral. He is also a partner in cruise related businesses in the area. In 2020 Ambassador Services, Inc., was sold and Randy became an investor in the new owner, Enstructure LLC, a cargo terminal operator which is now based in 26 ports. The Canaveral operation is their crown jewel, with the best productivity and operations.

In his personal life, Randy is devoted husband to Linda, the “L” in R&L May, and father to Linda, Donnie, and Josh and Pops to four fabulous grandchildren, Jason Sara, Kennedy, and Maxim. He is well known for his outstanding collection of artifacts, a hobby he began as a young boy. Congratulations to Randy May on this well-deserved recognition.

UPCOMING EVENTS
2026 MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN
It is time to renew your membership or join for 2026 Our membership year is the calendar year. Click on the Membership tab above to get started! Thank you for your support!
ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY
Save the date for Wednesday, December 10 at 6 pm for our annual Holiday Party. We will be collecting care package items and donations for the Canaveral Port Ministry. A registration link will be posted here shortly.

KEVIN JOBES NAMED SOUTHEAST REGION MEMBER OF THE YEAR 2025 AND ELECTED SE REGION VICE-PRESIDENT

Port Canaveral Member of the Year Kevin Jobes was named SE Region Member of the Year for 2025 at the Southeast Region Annual Conference in April and was also elected as the next Southeast Region Vice President. He was recognized as Port Canaveral member of the Year at the club’s ShrimpFeast event! Kevin has been a Propeller Club member for 10 years. He served as President in 2023 and is currently serving on the Board of Governors. Kevin has volunteered with many of the Propeller Club’s programs and initiatives including being one of the core members of our Keep Brevard Beautiful Adopt-A-Park Clean Up Team. He has helped with the planning of and been a steady volunteer at many club events including the annual ShrimpFeast. He was instrumental in initiating the club’s inaugural Golf Tournament last year. His company has been a Networking Happy Hour sponsor and he has enthusiastically recruited others to join the club! Kevin has represented our club at multiple International and Southeast Region conferences while serving as a club Officer and has developed relationships with Propeller Club members throughout the region and around the world. He has been nominated for the position of International Propeller Club Vice President of the Southeast Region running in an election scheduled later this month. Good Luck Kevin!

Kevin is a highly respected Geotechnical Engineering professional with more than 26 years of experience in the industry. He is the Brevard Office Leader for Insight Group, part of Certerra Materials Engineering and Earth Sciences. His experience includes geotechnical field sampling and laboratory classification testing, as well as report preparation for construction materials testing and geotechnical design projects. He has completed field sampling/testing for a variety of earthwork and building projects, such as schools, hotels, office buildings, airport terminals, parking structures, multi-acre, multi-unit residential developments, and transportation infrastructure projects such as interstate roadways, bridges, and earth retention structures. He has significant knowledge in the remediation of sinkhole-impacted structures and dealing with other settlement issues. Kevin has been part of two large international projects located in the S. Atlantic Ocean and Antarctica. Congratulations to Kevin Jobes on this recognition and Thank You for your passion in making the Propeller Club a successful organization!

REST IN PEACE RADM WAYNE JUSTICE

Statement from the Canaveral Port Authority
It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Canaveral Port Authority Chairman Admiral Wayne Justice. Admiral Justice was elected in 2014 and has served continuously, including three times as the board chairman. He was a champion for the Port, his beloved Coast Guard, and our Port district community. His spirit, enthusiasm, leadership and passion for the maritime industry will be deeply missed. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife Barbara and his entire family.

CAPT BEN BORGIE OF CANAVERAL PILOTS GUEST SPEAKER AT OCTOBER LUNCHEON

Capt. Ben Borgie, President of the Florida Harbor Pilots Association and Co-Chairman of the Canaveral Pilots Association, was the guest speaker at the Propeller Club’s October Luncheon held at Fishlips Waterfront Bar & Grill, Port Canaveral. Borgie gave an overview of Pilotage in the U.S., the education and career paths that lead to a Piloting career and the extensive application and testing procedures for Pilot jobs in Florida administered by the Florida Board of Pilot Commissioners. He stated that after successfully obtaining a position as a Deputy Pilot at a Florida port, the candidate then embarks on a two to three year training program to become a fully qualified State Pilot. Borgie described a typical day on the job for a Canaveral Pilot noting that Pilots operate in all weather conditions to provide safe and reliable transit of ships of all types in and out of Port Canaveral. He noted the close working relationship the Canaveral Pilots have with the Canaveral Port Authority, local U.S. Coast Guard units, the BCSO Marine Unit, and other port stakeholders.