Situated within the 10,000 acres of Poole Harbour, the Port of Poole is managed by the Poole Harbour Commissioners. The Trust Port was established by an Act of Parliament in 1895 to conserve, regulate and improve the Port and Harbour of Poole and for the construction of works and other purposes.

Poole Harbour Commissioners currently comprise a board of 12 Trustees (Commissioners) with a staff of some 110. All board members are required to sign a declaration that they will act impartially and make decisions in the best interests of the harbour.

Commissioners' responsibilities'
Poole Harbour Commissioners’ main responsibilities are:

• ensuring that statutory duties are fulfilled, such as maintaining an open Port
• maintaining the shipping channels by surveying, dredging and marking with navigational aids such as buoys and lights
• providing a pilotage service for ships visiting the Harbour
• allocating areas of the Harbour for yacht moorings
• licensing works around the Harbour (e.g. construction of jetties, etc.)
• providing and co-ordinating resources in the event of oil or chemical pollution in the Harbour
• contributing to the management of any maritime emergency in the harbour
• providing a 24 hour manned Harbour Control Office, for harbour traffic management and emergency response
• maintaining and developing Port facilities to retain existing customers and encourage new ones
• offering a full range of cargo handling services
• enforcement of harbour byelaws and keeping them under review
• taking account of the environmental requirements of the Transport and Works Act 1992 and other relevant legislation
• ensuring the safety of harbour users and employees alike
• addressing the obligations placed upon the Trust by legislation including the Waste Disposal Regulations and the Habitats Directive.

Chairman
Richard Lacey was appointed as a Commissioner in October 2004 and Chariman in 2008. He is a Chartered Civil Engineer with a lifetime experience in the Water Supply Industry both in the UK and overseas, where he has held both Executive and Non Executive Directorships in Water Companies. Following early retirement from corporate life he set up his own consulting practice and worked for several years for the United Nations and European Union in Kosovo to restructure the water industry of Kosovo. Richard now holds several non Executive directorships in the voluntary sector to which he devotes about 50% of his time. A keen sailor Richard keeps 2 boats in Poole Harbour.

Chief Executive
Jim Stewart was appointed Chief Executive in 2002. He has been involved in the commercial shipping sector since 1980, and has managed companies since 1990. He acts as a director of Dorset Business and the Poole Arts Trust. He sits on the National Policy Council of the British Chambers of Commerce and is a Council Member of the British Ports Association. Jim was elected a member of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers in 1983 and gained an MBA (Master in Business Administration) in 1999.

Vice Chairman
Ian Davies was appointed as a Commissioner in 2003 and Vice Chairman in October 2009. Ian farms shellfish on leased beds in Poole Harbour. He is an honorary member of the Poole & District Fishermen’s Association; having served as Secretary from 1995 to 2002. Ian now administrates the fishermen’s section of the Poole Quay Boat Haven on their behalf.

Commissioner
Mrs Jacqueline Hardy was appointed a Commissioner on the 1st November 2010.  Jacky is a qualified teacher who now works for the National Trust on Brownsea Island and Poole Museum in the Educational Environment.  She is Commodore of North Haven Yacht Club and has been a member for 20 years. Jacky is an active volunteer with the RNLI.  She is a member of the local Sea Safety Team and is also an Education Presenter, giving talks to local schools and groups.  Jacky is a local person and has enjoyed fishing, motor boats and sailing in Poole Harbour since childhood.

Commissioner

Graham Sutton was appointed as a Commissioner in November 2005 after serving a forty year career in H.M. Customs & Excise. He was on duty in the port for the arrival of the first Ro/Ro ferry in 1973 and later served as Surveyor Poole Customs from 1989 to 1999. Most recently he was appointed as Operational Commander of the National Strike Force where his duties took him to most major British ports and airports. Graham is interested in all matters relating to the harbour and enjoys a wide range of sporting and leisure pursuits. He has a BSc (Hons) Economics.

Commissioner
Michael Mitchell was appointed as a Commissioner in October 2008. Having read Law & Economics at Cambridge University, he developed a career in retailing and from 1982 to 2002 was CEO of the locally based store, Beales plc. Michael now acts as a non-execuitve director and consultant for local retail companies and for Bournemouth and Poole NHS.

Commissioner
Alec Monk was appointed as a Commissioners in november 2009. For more than 40 years Alec has held major posts in a wide range of companies both at home and abroad, including - Director of RTZ, Scottish Eastern Investment Trust, and AEA Investors Inc., and was also Chariman of Charles Wells Ltd. Alec graduated in PPE and his route into senior management was economics, finance, tax and marketing. He is an honorary fellow of both Jesus College and St. Hugh's College, Oxford and is a Foundation Fellow of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge.

Commissioner
Mrs Sarah Welton was appointed a Commissioner in October 2001. Sarah has worked in coastal zone management, marine conservation, training and education, in the UK and abroad, for over 25 years. Sarah is currently a consultant in coastal matters and environmental education and is also an Auxiliary Coastguard, Chairman of the Joint Dorset Marine Committee (Dorset Wildlife Trust/Dorset Coast Forum) and Trustee of the Dorset Wildlife Trust. Sarah has a BSc (Honours) Zoology attained at the University College of Swansea.

Commissioner
Graham Hildred is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, qualifying in 1973. Work experience includes a spell abroad and working in the UK for a variety of commercial companies before joining Poole Harbour Commissioners in 1990. In April 2009 Graham was invited to become a Commissioner.

Commissioner
Matthew Greenslade was appointed as a Commissioner on the 1st November 2010.  Matthew grew up in a traditional boatyard just outside Poole and began working alongside his father (Rusty) in the passenger boat business.  He now owns. Greenslade Pleasure Boats, which still operates from Poole Quay. He has also worked on a variety of other vessels, surveying for Van Ord Dredging and British Petroleum, throughout the British Isles.  He enjoys fishing, sailing and playing rugby.

Commissioner

Brian Thomas was appointed a Commissioners in November2009. Brian has worked in the shipping and transport related industry for 30 years. Brian was an Operations and Projects Director of a Poole based shipping company with offices along the south coast of England in the ealry 1990's until he formed his own freight forwarding company based in Poole.

Commissioner
Tom James is the Unite the Union representative on the board of Commissioners.  Tom has been a Stevedore for 34 years. Before this he worked as a plumber in the Middle East. Tom also represents the Port of Poole locally, regionally and nationally on the Docks and Waterways Committee.  Tom was appointed as a Commissioner on the 1st November 2010.