Port of Long Beach Names Two New Division Directors
Jake Schuchmann and Taleah Quemada were promoted to lead the port's maintenance and survey divisions within its engineering services bureau.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in People
The Port of Long Beach promoted Jake Schuchmann to director of its maintenance division and Taleah Quemada to director of its survey division, both effective Sept. 19. The changes affect two of the six divisions in the port's engineering services bureau.
Why it matters
The engineering services bureau oversees 22 shipping terminals, 12 piers and 80 berths across 3,520 acres of land and 4,600 acres of water, and it is central to the port's goal of doubling cargo volume by 2050. Leadership at these divisions shapes how that infrastructure is maintained and surveyed.
Schuchmann brings more than 15 years of facilities, construction, maintenance and operations management experience, while Quemada brings more than 20 years of public- and private-sector surveying experience. Both promotions take effect Sept. 19, with the bureau covering 22 terminals, 12 piers and 80 berths.
The players
Port of Long Beach
The Port of Long Beach is a major container seaport in Southern California and one of the busiest in the United States.
Jake Schuchmann
Jake Schuchmann is a facilities and maintenance executive who previously worked at aerospace companies Varda Space Industries, Relativity Space and Virgin Orbit.
The details
Schuchmann had served as POLB assistant director and acting director of maintenance since 2023, and he led the division's transition to a zero-emissions fleet and operations. Before joining the port, he held facilities and development roles at Varda Space Industries, Relativity Space and Virgin Orbit. Quemada returned to the port in 2024 as assistant director of the survey division after 13 years with the city of Long Beach and the POLB.
Timeline
2023: Schuchmann began serving as assistant and acting maintenance director.
2024: Quemada returned to the port as assistant survey director.
Sept. 19, 2026: Both director appointments take effect.
2050: Target year for doubling port cargo volume.
Season Trajectory
The port's stated goal of doubling cargo volume by 2050 sets the long-range frame for these appointments. Maintenance and survey leadership at the engineering services bureau directly supports the infrastructure that goal depends on.
For Long Beach residents and port-adjacent businesses, the appointments signal continuity in how the port maintains its terminals and surveys its land and water areas. The direct day-to-day effect on shippers and workers is not described in the source.
The takeaway
Leadership changes in infrastructure divisions often precede shifts in how major ports plan for long-term capacity. Readers tracking the Port of Long Beach's 2050 goal can watch how maintenance and survey priorities evolve under the new directors.
Further reading
Explore more People coverage tied to Long Beach's major employers and public agencies.
Source note: This article includes information reported by RailPrime.
