Oxnard : Harbor Commission Veteran to Retire

The Oxnard Harbor District’s longest-serving commissioner announced Monday that he will vacate his position April 30 to move to Palm Springs.

Bob H. Jennings, 61, said he and his wife, Peggy, decided to move now, even though there are eight months remaining in his present term, because he has earned his retirement.

“I’ve served 32 years and been elected to eight terms,” Jennings said. “I frankly think it’s time to move on.”

The harbor board will hold a special meeting tonight to discuss selection of a commissioner to serve the remainder of Jenning’s term, which expires in December. The board has the authority to appoint a replacement under state law.

Jennings, a retired school administrator, was just 29 when first elected to the five-member board in 1960. During his tenure, commissioners lobbied heavily to buy back large chunks of port property taken over by the Navy during World War II. Today, the Harbor District owns 70 of the 313 acres it held before the federal government stepped in, Jennings said.

With the recent trend toward reductions in defense spending, the possibility of even greater expansion into Navy-owned property holds great promise for the district, Jennings said.

“If the Navy gives up more land, it could be of great economic benefit to Ventura County,” said Jennings, a Camarillo resident.

More than 3,000 port-related jobs have been created during Jenning’s tenure, district officials said. The port has also attracted luxury automobile importers and citrus exporters, netting $4 million in gross revenue last year. Earlier this year, the federal government granted the harbor official Port of Entry status, a move that will make the deep-water port more attractive for major shippers.

The biggest challenge facing the board in upcoming years will be expanding the port even more, Jennings said.

“I can see the time when we will be trading with Australia and places in the Far East, such as China,” Jennings said. “The harbor has only touched the tip of the iceberg.”