The South Jersey Port Corporation is pleased to announce the appointment of its newest board member William R. Higgins of Monroeville, NJ. The highly decorated retired New Jersey State Police captain served on SJPC’s senior management staff from 2007 to 2012 and returns now as a board member.
“We’re delighted to have Billy on the board,” said board chair Richard A. Alaimo. “He is the first former employee of the SJPC to serve on the board and he brings with him vast institutional knowledge and experience of the daily operations of our terminals. That perspective is valuable as we work to achieve our service goals while facing the unique challenges of these times.”
Governor Phil Murphy appointed Higgins to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Fran Smith. Board members serve 5-year terms and are responsible for adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance for operations of the port, ensuring a sustainable future.
Higgins served in various leadership roles during his 25-year career in law enforcement with the New Jersey State Police including a detail on the New Jersey State Police Executive Protection Unit protecting Governor James J. Florio, commands with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Enforcement and Casino Gaming Enforcement units, and chief of the Intelligence Bureau. He also led a 100-trooper contingent reinforcing Camden Police Department in its fight against gang violence in the community.
Following his retirement from the New Jersey State Police as a captain in 2006, Higgins served five years as a member of the senior management staff of the SJPC, where he became SJPC’s Director of Port Facilities Security, Human Resources, and Safety Officer. Serving with distinction, he learned all aspects of the SJPC’s services, organizational objectives, rank and file concerns, as well as the management structure.
In 2012 he returned to law enforcement as Deputy Chief of County Detectives for the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office. He retired again in 2014 to become the President & CEO of RSP Command Inc, a security firm based in Atlantic City.
“I’m looking forward to returning to SJPC and serving on the board. Building on the success of the port and maintaining growth is critical to our regional economy and I am committed to that mission,” said Higgins. The port has grown in recent years from handling 2 million tons of cargo annually to 4 million. With the opening of the Port of Paulsboro and the development of wind energy, SJPC is poised to continue that growth in the coming years.
Higgins resides in Monroeville with his wife Beth and they are proud parents of five grown sons and have three grandchildren.