SEATTLE—The Port of Seattle Commission officially opened its search for an Executive Director to applicants on Thursday by posting a job description and announcing the results of an extensive outreach effort seeking input about the critical qualities and attributes for the next Port leader.
The public outreach included a web survey that received more than 500 responses, five employee forums attended by more than 200 employees, and interviews with more than 100 external community leaders and stakeholders, including customers, labor leaders, minority community leaders, environmental leaders, community business leaders, regional community leaders and elected officials. The outreach was carried out by Commissioners, port staff and the executive search firm, Herd Freed Hartz of Seattle.
“We value the thoughtful input of our employees and broader community regarding the qualities needed in our next Executive Director,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Courtney Gregoire.
“We seek a great public servant to lead the Port during this dynamic time to achieve our goals for broadly shared economic opportunity, job creation, environmental sustainability and equity,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Felleman, who along with Commissioner Gregoire is tasked with leading the effort to find a new leader for the Port of Seattle.
The Commission intends to choose an Executive Director by mid- to late fall this year.
The Commission will continue to engage the community and Port workers as we go forward to hire our next leader. The final decision will be made by members of this Commission, with input from the incoming Commission.
Survey responses, employee comments and community feedback all stressed that the Executive Director should be a strategic and entrepreneurial leader with a track record of stellar results working in complex organizations, as well as a reputation for forming strong personal and professional relationships. The Commission chose to redefine the position from CEO to Executive Director to emphasize the importance of an established track record that demonstrates the ability to work collaboratively with an elected Commission and responsiveness to community interests in addition to the bottom line.
In concert with the Commission’s leadership, the next Executive Director will form and maintain excellent relationships with internal and external stakeholders through transparency, authenticity, accountability, diversity, equity, inclusion, and effective community engagement. In partnership with the Commission, the Executive Director serves as a bridge from this unique institution to the wider King County community and beyond.
Priorities for the Executive Director will include effective leadership of the organization as it modernizes and expands Sea-Tac International Airport to meet industry and regional demand, supports the North Pacific Fishing Fleet, worth billions in economic activity, manages the Port’s real estate assets to create economic opportunity for local communities, and further develops a thriving cruise business that handles over one-million revenue passengers a year. The Port also is expanding its leadership in environmental stewardship and workforce development. The Port of Seattle is an organization of around 1,900 employees with a $1 billion budget, funded mostly through operational revenue.
About the Port of Seattle
Founded in 1911, The Port owns and operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, two cruise ship terminals, Fishermen’s Terminal—home of the North Pacific fishing fleet, one grain terminal, a public cargo terminal, four public marinas, and manages a number of real estate assets for financial return and economic advantage. The port’s operations currently help create nearly 200,000 jobs and $7 billion in wages throughout the region. Over the next 20 years, the port’s “Century Agenda” seeks to create an additional 100,000 jobs through economic growth while becoming the nation’s leading green and energy-efficient port. Learn more at www.portseattle.org
About Herd Freed Hartz
Established in 2001, Herd Freed Hartz is a Seattle-based executive search firm focusing on key executive hires in the private, public and non-profit sectors for leading Northwest organizations. Herd Freed Hartz was recently named one of America’s Best Executive Search Firms and the top firm in the Northwest by Forbes Magazine. For more information: www.herdfreedhartz.com
