The port–city interface is where economic ambition, urban life, and environmental responsibility meet. This high-level plenary will gather leading voices to explore innovative approaches for connecting ports and cities, creating spaces that are both competitive and livable.
María del Rosario Soto Rico has been president of the Almería Port Authority, which manages the ports of Almería and Carboneras, since September 2022. She has a degree in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Granada, having studied at the University of Strasbourg (France) as an Erasmus student in 1998, where she obtained a scholarship to study at the European Parliament. Her interest in knowledge and specialization led her to complete various master's degrees in Marketing and International Trade, Human Resources Management, and Occupational Risk Prevention in both Spain and the United Kingdom. She has also completed the Advanced Course in Social Security and Labor Law at the Center for Financial Studies in Madrid and doctoral courses in Social Psychology and Social Security and Labor Law.
Her work in public administration began in 2003 as Councilor for Equality, Youth, Health, and Consumer Affairs in the City Council of Almería, where she continued until 2012 as Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Social Services and Equality. She was subsequently a senator for the Autonomous Community of Andalusia in the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th legislatures and a member of the Andalusian Parliament in the 9th legislature.
Dr. Ian Seong (Heui-Yeob Seong) is the current Vice Mayor for Future Innovation of Busan Metropolitan City. He has been active in local government since August 21, 2023, having served as the Chief Policy Advisor (CPO) for Busan Metropolitan City until July 14, 2025, when he was inaugurated as Vice Mayor. Before his position with the metropolitan city, Dr. Seong was the CEO of Busan United Holdings Co., an accelerator and incubator based in Busan, which was founded in 2015. He has also worked as a PR Specialist at the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Korea. Dr. Seong holds a B.A. in Chemistry from the College of Natural Sciences at Seoul National University, Korea, and a Ph.D. in Japanese Regional Studies from Pukyong National University. He has experience as a lecturer in the Department of Japanese Language and Literature.
TBC Joseph Sutkowi, WEDG, is the Chief Waterfront Design Officer at the Waterfront Alliance. Joseph leads the WEDG® (Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines) program and oversees Waterfront Alliance’s resilience planning project in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. He brings significant experience in ports, offshore wind, climate resilience planning, economic development policy, and infrastructure. Previously, Joseph was a senior consultant at Karp Strategies, a New York City-based urban planning and economic development consulting firm where he led projects in infrastructure, real estate development, and sustainability. In previous roles, Joseph worked with Living Cities on equitable procurement, a New York City Council member on transportation, the American Red Cross in disaster response operations, and the University of Michigan in foundation relations. Joseph resides in Queens, New York. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan and a Master’s of Public Administration from New York University’s Wagner School. Joseph is a member of the Urban Land Institute’s New York City Infrastructure Product Council, co-chair of a committee of the New Jersey Coastal Resilience Collaborative, an Advisory Board Member for the National Working Waterfront Network, and a member of the New Jersey Association of Floodplain Managers.
