New at the helm: North Carolina picks a private-sector veteran to lead its publicly owned ports.

• Position: INQUIRY - Interview

Leadership at the N.C. State Ports Authority has been a revolving door since the January 2012 departure of Tom Eager, who had led the agency for eight years. Lawmakers shifted oversight to the N.C. Department of Transportation from the state Commerce Department in 2011, and the Republican takeover of the legislature and governor's office prompted boardroom changes. Shipping-industry veteran Paul Cozza hopes to provide some stability after landing the CEO job last March. He worked in Charlotte from 1995 to 2000 as an executive at CSX Corp.'s Sea-Land Services Inc. and most recently was president of the international division of Montreal-based CSL Group Inc. The authority, which charges fees to port users, projects annual revenue of $41.6 million in the 2014-15 fiscal year. Cozza talked with Business North Carolina about his initial experience as the agency competes with larger rivals in Hampton Roads, Va., Charleston and Savannah, Ga. Comments were edited for brevity and clarity.

What is your most important duty?

Our mission is to enhance the North Carolina economy. A recent study by N.C. State University showed that the ports support 76,000 jobs, and about $700 million in taxable revenue is related to them. They are big numbers.

What is the impact of the state's proposed transportation plan for the ports?

Gov. Pat McCrory has talked a lot about his desire to see the ports become a more prominent part of our transportation network. Plans include improving the U.S. 74 corridor and rerouting rail lines. Transportation improvements don't happen super fast. But...