COPRI LA - Port of Los Angeles (POLA) Leadership Panel

Join COPRI Los Angeles at our October dinner, which will feature Dina Aryan-Zahlan and Chris Brown from the Port of Los Angeles.
About this Event

Dina Aryan-Zahlan, PE, PMP (Deputy Executive Director, POLA) and Chris Brown, PE (Chief Harbor Engineer, POLA) will be joining us as panelists to discuss their individual vision and goals in their respective roles. The panel will be moderated by Victoria Curto, PE, (COPRI LA President), who will lead the discussion with our guest panelists and attendees.

Panelist Bios
Dina Aryan-Zahlan, PE, PMP

Dina Aryan‑Zahlan serves as the Deputy Executive Director of Development at the Port of Los Angeles, guiding the strategic growth of the nation’s busiest container port. Since joining the executive leadership team in 2023, she has overseen a workforce of more than 450 professionals across Construction, Maintenance, and Engineering, ensuring the delivery of complex capital projects that sustain the Port’s global reach.

With more than 25 years of service at the Port, Dina previously held the role of Chief Harbor Engineer, where she led the planning and design of major infrastructure initiatives. Her leadership has shaped some of the Port’s most transformative efforts, including terminal modernization, multimodal transportation improvements, the LA Waterfront Program, and pioneering electrification and sustainability projects that advance the Port’s environmental initiatives. Dina is a licensed Civil Engineer in California and holds both a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master’s degree from the University of Southern California. She is also a Project Management Professional (PMP®) and Senior Certified Professional (SHRM‑SCP). She contributes to the engineering community as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Engineering at California State University, Long Beach.

Recognized for her mentorship and advocacy, Dina is committed to expanding opportunities for women and underrepresented groups in engineering. Her industry leadership earned her the prestigious WTS‑LA 2022 Woman of the Year Award, honoring her impact on transportation and her dedication to developing future leaders.

Chris Brown, PE

Chris Brown is Chief Harbor Engineer at the Port of Los Angeles, the lead position overseeing the Port’s Engineering Division. Appointed in 2023, Chris leads the planning, development and design of infrastructure and facilities that support the diverse operations of the nation’s busiest seaport, including wharves, terminals, rail, roadways and public space.

Chris most recently served as the Assistant Chief Harbor Engineer responsible for division sections handling structural, specifications, architectural and electrical elements of Port infrastructure projects. Prior to that, he served as the Harbor Engineer in charge of division sections on structural, specifications, right of way, technology and CADD. From 2000-2015, he held various roles—including section head, program manager and designer—on a number of projects, most notably as project manager for the Wilmington Waterfront Park, which won Engineering News Record’s “Best of the Best Award” in 2012.

Chris started his career as a student engineer at the Port of Los Angeles in 1993. Following a four-year stint at Holmes & Narver (now AECOM), he returned to the Port and progressively built his career. He received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree from the University of Southern California, and his Master’s degree in structural engineering from the University of Maryland.

In addition to being a licensed Civil Engineer in California, Chris is a certified construction documents technologist as designated by the Construction Specification Institute, where he serves as a board member. Chris is also a senior certified professional with the Society for Human Resource Management.