CII Treasurer Catherine (Cate) Avolio can probably boast the most eclectic career of any woman in the logistics industry. Today, a Local One Checker/working dockworker at APM Terminals, Port Elizabeth, NJ, with “the best union in the country,” she says, the International Longshoreman’s Association, Cate uses the well-honed sales, marketing and people skills utilized in her previous 30-plus years in maritime advertising and sales. 

“The opportunity rose to join the ILA and I thought it would be worthwhile to round out my career by seeing and participating in how the other side of our industry works—where the rubber hits the road, where the cargo moves from the ship to market,” she says. Her story began in San Diego, where Cate was born and then to Northern California, where she was raised. In 1986, fresh from San Francisco State University where she studied psychology Cate headed to New York City to follow a boyfriend and seek out a career.  With no real job prospects she had a friend who had a friend and ultimately landed as an administrative assistant in the advertising department at The Journal of Commerce. 

“The only thing I knew about the company was that it was a Fortune 200 company owned by Knight-Ridder and the office was on Wall Street, she remembers.” There was no internet to learn anything more and I had exhausted research at the library.  So at 24 years old, I thought, it must be a reputable organization. Little did I know I’d make a career of it,” she adds. “Very quickly I found the industry fascinating. I lived on the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts and there was still so much to learn.  I enjoyed working with the various organizations and people from all over the world.  The newspaper had no women sales people but I learned from such veterans as Jim Devine and John Murphy.”

Among the organizations she followed was the Containerization and Intermodal Institute, which Cate was drawn to early on in her career. “I went to the board meeting, the Connie events and volunteered to help. The people

 were smart and top industry experts. The group was a manageable size and I was able to get to know the major players,” she says. “That was 30 years ago. I never gave up my engagement with CII. I am the first and might  be the only longshoreman involved!”

That involvement may have been among those that paid off for Cate. Starting at an entry-level position, she was quickly asked to join the ranks of the men in sales due to her acquired knowledge and relationship skills with the customers.  “I still had to prove myself and initial sales responsibility were for Directory- type products such as the Transportation Telephone Tickler – at that time the acclaimed yellow pages of transportation services in the industry and the Import/Export Directory’s – information on what we today refer to as BCOs, the benevolent cargo owners or major shippers.  Finally, I was allowed to join the big boys and became the Maritime Display Advertising Manager,” says Cate.  Her accounts were the multiple steamship lines and Ports in the Northeast, at that time, the largest and most important customers of the publication.  In addition, she was the Manager of Classified Sales.   

Before the broad use of the internet and computerized schedule information, the Journal of Commerce was the premier publication for sailing information.  ‘It wasn’t as up to the minute because the information changed from when it was received, to publication and circulation time but it was the best and only way to get arrival, departure and port of call information,” she sys. “Fast forward today where we can access the actual location of a vessel instantly.  This is one of many major changes that made this industry information better.” 

Cate also had her own style of selling advertising space. It was not just “spend it with my publication” pitch. She was more involved with understanding a client’s marketing plans and then adapting a program that met their specific needs.—whether geographical, speed of service, promoting new equipment, rate competition or the like. One vessel operating representative has volunteered: “Ms. Avolio’s relationship with the industry and its  leaders, as well as her interest in my company goals made her an integral part of our marketing program—an invaluable tool.” Her reputation spread and Cate was pursued by the JOC’s competitors.

Her resumé could pass as a premier media list for the logistics industry. She went on to Pacific Shipper, American Shipper, Global Logistics & Supply Chain Strategies, back to the JOC and lastly as Associate Publisher with the American Journal of Transportation, also known as AJOT.  She also worked briefly for Piers and then Ocean Schedules, then a division of technology leader INTTRA.  

”The second time with the JOC my responsibilities included sponsorship sales for the TPM (TransPacific Maritime Conference), now the largest and best- attended event in  the industry,” says Cate. “But I began to find the incredible amount of travel and the endless working hours were getting to me,” says the petite grandmother-to-be. “I needed more Cate and family time.” When the ILA opportunity presented, she knew that there would be regular working hours and the much-needed stability of being close to home.   

“Now,” she says, “I utilize my customer relations skills to assist the drivers that pickup/drop off cargo at the terminals.  My work ethic hasn’t changed and I enjoy making their experience at the terminal a pleasant one.” The other constant throughout my career is my involvement with CII.  No matter what company/ organization I represented, I maintained my position with CII, which represents volunteers from various segments of our industry. We strive to help educate the young and old. We bring people and organizations together.  And we pay tribute to those that have made significant contributions and had an impact during their career with a Connie Award.  With help from companies in our organization, CII has distributed more than $1 million in scholarships to potential candidates looking to become part of this vital industry.  We are committed to help educate the next leaders of this amazing group” she says.