Andrea Riniker
First female Airport Director, Port of Seattle Deputy Director, and Port of Tacoma Executive Director
Andrea Riniker definitely fits the “trailblazing” moniker; she was not only the first woman Director of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), but also the first woman Deputy Director at the Port of Seattle, and the first female Executive Director for the Port of Tacoma. Andrea served as airport director from 1988 -1993, where she faced numerous challenges such as airport noise and capacity issues amidst rising passenger and cargo traffic numbers. Airport capacity and future growth were hot topics, and the planning discussions and the start of the third runway planning at SEA happened during her tenure, as well as major airport renovations. She was promoted to Deputy Director of the Port of Seattle and served in that role from 1993-1997, and then was selected as the first female Executive Director of the Port of Tacoma, where she served from 1997-2005. Her unique blend of experience gave her a robust regional perspective, which she used to build cooperation on topics such as freight mobility and invest in infrastructure that enabled growth at both the airport and local seaports.
Read more about airport issues during the time of Andrea’s leadership on HistoryLink:
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport: Part 4 — Ascent and Dissent (1980-2008)
