The Port of Seattle Commission today re-elected Co-Presidents Bowman and Gregoire for another full-year term. The commission elected John Creighton to serve as vice president, Tom Albro to serve as commission secretary, and Bill Bryant to serve as assistant secretary.
“The Port of Seattle is a unique part of our region’s diverse economy,” said Commission Co-President Stephanie Bowman. “As we embark on this new year, we remain focused on creating and improving opportunity for the people of King County and beyond.”
“We began 2014 with a focus on critical issues including enhancing the competitiveness of our seaport, finding the right executive leadership for the port, and expanding job opportunities in our communities,” said Commission Co-President Courtney Gregoire. “We made great progress over the past year and we look forward to building on these gains in 2015.”
Commissioners reflected on several highlights from 2014.
This summer, the commission passed a resolution establishing new minimum wage, compensation and training requirements for airfield support workers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with the aim of enhancing safe and secure operations at Sea-Tac and raising the standard of living for thousands of people who work at the airport.
In August, the Commission selected Ted Fick, an executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience in major manufacturing and transportation organizations, to serve as the port’s new CEO.
Also this year, the Seattle and Tacoma port commissions took steps towards forming the Seaport Alliance, a historic agreement to unify management of the two ports’ marine cargo terminals in order to address competitive challenges and create new economic opportunities. Together, the two ports’ cargo operations form the third-largest container gateway in the country and support more than 48,000 jobs across the region.
A study released by Martin Associates in November found that Port of Seattle activities added nearly 20,000 new jobs to the region's economy over the past six years.
