Geraldine Knatz began her career at the Port of Los Angeles in 1977 as a marine environmental assistant—and scuba diver—while still a student at the University of Southern California. When she wasn't transplanting kelp plants from Catalina Island to the breakwater of Los Angeles Harbor, she was diving to the floor of the harbor to measure oil pools that resulted from the explosion of the Liberian oil tanker, SS Sansinena. 

In a career that spanned thirty-seven years at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, Knatz advanced to various leadership positions, and she was named Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, America's largest container port. At its helm for eight years, Knatz also showcased the port’s historic resources during its year-long Centennial Celebration in 2007, ensuring century-old photographs, maps, and documents were preserved for future generations.