San Diego City Council District 1 representative Sherri Lightner nominated former District 1 candidate Marshall Merrifield to fill Laurie Black’s seat on San Diego’s Port Commission. Lightner sent Council President Ben Hueso a memo on Thursday, April 23, stating her choice for the upcoming vacancy. If the remaining council members accept the nomination, Merrifield will fill Black’s seat and complete the remainder of her term, which ends Jan. 2, 2013. “I was pleased to nominate Marshall because of his passion for a working port — I believe he will do an excellent job for our city,” Lightner said. During the 2008 District 1 campaign, Merrifield impressed Lightner with his knowledge of port operations, according to Lightner’s staffers. John Rivera, Lightner’s chief of staff, said the councilwoman remembered Merrifield’s Port Tenants Association presentation prior to her election and nominated the businessman when the opportunity arose. “If I am appointed to the Port Commission, I am committed to making our port a working port that is efficient, a partner with business and residents and is internationally competitive,” Merrifield said in a press release. Merrifield — president of Clark Security Products and of General Locks — is business-minded and wants to focus on expanding the port operations, he said. “I am honored to be nominated by Councilmember Lightner,” Merrifield said in a press release. “I believe that we need to fully maximize our assets to work for our local economy and the residents of San Diego.”