Falmouth Harbour Commissioners have a new board member following the appointment of John Langan from this month. His appointment is for three years.

An experienced construction engineer and manager, John has been the managing director of Challenger Marine for the past seven years and a contributing force behind the creation of the Cornwall Marine Network, of which he is a board director. He has also served on the Falmouth Harbour Commissioners Consultative Committee since its inception in 2000.

John describes his enthusiasm for his new position which has been created following the end of the second three-year tenure served by John Bottomly. He said: "During my time on the Consultative Committee I gained a fascinating insight into the workings of the Port of Falmouth and important role performed by the commissioners as stewards, ensuring effective management of the resource.

"The uses of the harbour are diverse, and so equally the commissioners looking after The Port's interests come from a wide range of professional backgrounds with different areas of expertise. As an experienced business manager I consider that I can make a useful contribution to the effective running of the Port of Falmouth and am looking forward to serving as a Harbour Commissioner for the next three years."

The role of a commissioner is akin to that of a company director. Commissioners are responsible for the management of the Trust Port of Falmouth which has a turnover of about £1.6m and a geographic area of about 16 square miles. The Commissioners manage the Port in the wider interest of its stakeholders and are subject to comprehensive guidance from the Ports Division of the Department for Transport.

By taking on his new role as Harbour commissioner, John Langan will be leaving his post on the Consultative Committee - creating a vacancy for a new committee member to be appointed.

The Consultative Committee is structured to include representation from a wide range of stakeholders and meets quarterly.