GILBERTO GUARDIA FABREGA

Gilberto Guardia was born in Panama City, Republic of Panama, on 13 February 1930 His parents were Thomas and Licia Guardia Fabrega. He married Maria Teresa Garcia de Paredes in 1949 In 1950, he graduated Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Santa Clara, California in the United States.

From 1950 to 1951 he worked as an estimator for the Ministry of Public Works in the City of Panama and worked from 1951 to 1952 as a Civil Engineer in the Panama Canal Company.

Guard was President and CEO of Wayne Enterprises and Guardia, SA; Architecture and Engineering, Construction Management and General Steel Light Manufacturing 1952-1990.

Mr. Guardia was also a member of the Board of Industrial Development Bank; Panama Trust Bank and Bancshares Incorporated Dadeland in Miami, Florida. He was also Director of the National Council of Private Enterprise, the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of the Panamanian Association of Business Executives and the Panamanian Chamber of Construction.

Mr. Guardia was appointed Administrator of the Panama Canal Commission on September 20, 1990 and served in this position until 17 August 1996 and was the first Panamanian administrator of the Panama Canal.

The tenure of office of Director Mr. Guardia excelled due to various maintenance programs and improvements made ​​to the Canal, focused on the widening of the Pacific entrance where more than 7 million cubic yards of material was removed; widening and straightening the area eight miles narrow Gaillard Cut Canal increasing the minimum width of 500 to 630 feet; installing a new defense system of locks, the construction of a new station signal in the Atlantic sector and the installation of a ship handling simulator for training pilots Canal.

During his administration, the 1st. October 1992, was also increased for the sixth time in history, Canal tolls. In 1994 the Universal Measurement System Panama Canal (PC / UMS), which established the formula for measuring tonnage of vessels implemented.

Guard officially announced his resignation on October 7, 1995, but continued to serve until the appointment of a new administrator.