Mainebiz

V O L . X X I N O. X X I I I O C T O B E R 5 , 2 0 1 5 28 C hris Gardner might be for- given if he thought the sun rises with his job. But, as executive director of the Eastport Port Authority, at the east- ernmost edge of the Eastern Time Zone, you could argue that the sun does rise on his job. Still, Gardner has been behind the scenes as a persuasive advocate more often than he's been in the spotlight. He was instrumental in shipping pregnant cattle from Eastport. Before the breakwater collapsed, Gardner had been sounding the alarm that it needed to be replaced, and was raising both state and federal funds to replace it. He has been at the forefront of eff orts to get a rail connector to Eastport — an asset that could cement the deep-water port's status as a key intermodal facil- ity, connecting the United States and Canada to ports in northern Europe. Eastport (pop. 1,331) is the eastern- most city in the United States (though Lubec is the easternmost municipality). It is a small city comprised of islands, the largest of which is Moose Island. Its history was intertwined with the sardine industry, which in the 19 th century was tremendously profi table, accounting for 13 sardine factories by 1886, but was in a state of collapse by the late 1930s. Today, the focus is shipping. e natural port is deep enough for the largest container ships. Even in the depths of a Maine winter, the port itself remains active because the 25-foot tides keep water from standing too long to freeze. In nominating Gardner, Chris Sauer, president and CEO of Ocean Renewal Power Co., and Jett Peterson, chairman of the board of the Eastport Port Authority, cited his larger goals. "Chris's dedication to not just the Eastport Port Authority, but to the entire Washington County com- munity makes him a key player in Maine's economic future," Peterson wrote in the nomination. "He's absolutely committed to help- ing his community, helping Eastport, helping Washington County. He's also an advocate of thinking big. Unless they do this a diff erent way, history is going to repeat itself," Sauer says, adding that Gardner embraces new industries. Gardner has been a popular speaker — and persistent advocate for the area — at commencement addresses, his nominators say. "He's underscored one simple request to graduating students: 'Stay. Stay here and be the future. Stay here and help continue to make the community, the county and state better.'" Despite his notoriety as a gradu- ation speaker, Gardner was under- stated when told he was named to the Mainebiz NEXT List. " is is a very humbling surprise," says Gardner, who has been director since 2007. "Much of what you speak of are eff orts that certainly involve many more than just myself, as you can surely imagine." One of Gardner's long-standing tasks has been to rebuild the Eastport breakwater, which collapsed on Dec. 4, 2014, injuring one man and damag- ing boats. e 400-foot breakwater, which dates to 1962, is the lifeblood of the area's economy. It hosts lobster boats and other fi shing vessels but also cargo ships, cruise ships, Navy and Coast Guard vessels, yachts and small craft. As early as 2010, offi cials had started a campaign to rebuild the breakwater. In 2012, damage on the north side of the breakwater highlighted the need for substan- tial work. "We recognized we were on borrowed time," Gardner told the Bangor Daily News in April. In 2013, Gardner applied to the U.S. Department of Transportation's maritime administration for fund- ing to rebuild the breakwater. e eff ort secured $15 million in state and federal funds and engineering work progressed in 2014. P H O T O / L E S L I E BOW M A N Deep-water man Chris Gardner is looking forward in Eastport B y P e t e r V a n A l l e n Stay. Stay here and be the future. Stay here and help continue to make the community, the county and state better. Chris Gardner Executive director Eastport Port Authority Chris Gardner, executive director of the Eastport Port Authority

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