Port of Seattle
The Port of Seattle is a government agency overseeing the seaport and airport of Seattle, Washington, United States. With a portfolio of properties ranging from parks and waterfront real estate, to one of the largest airports and container terminals on the West Coast, the Port of Seattle is one of the Pacific Northwest's leading economic engines.
Its creation was approved by the voters of King County on September 5, 1911, and authorized by the Port District Act. The Port of Seattle is managed by a five-member Port Commission who are elected by the voters of King County and serve four-year terms. The Commissioners govern the Port, lead all inter-governmental functions, and oversee the Executive Director.
History
Creation
The Port of Seattle was created by the state of Washington in 1911, with a view to regaining public control over the waterfront of Seattle. By Washington State's Port District Act, the port construction plan had to be presented and voted upon before construction could start. One of the biggest factors that swayed the votes in favor of creating the port was the prospect of economic growth. The first Commission Report for 1912 records that: "The Port of Seattle came into existence on September 5, 1911, by a vote of the people of the Port District held on that date in accordance with the Port District Act of March 14, 1911. The work of the commission for the first six months was confined almost entirely to the preparation of projects which were duly approved by the people at a special election held on March 5, 1912."Development and growth
Port construction began in 1913 with the creation of a home port for the local fishermen; this terminal was completed in 1914 and became the Northern Pacific Fishing Fleet's home of operations. It took over 20 years to get the port up and running due to opposing positions on the board regarding public port legislation, and the balance of economic benefits as against disadvantages. The creation of the Port of Seattle provided facilities for an expansion of shipping trade, later including container shipping, generating increasing economic activity in the area. The Second World War halted much of the global shipping trade and negatively impacted the economy. In 1949 the U.S. Department of Commerce designated a foreign-trade zone in the port.The port has grown rapidly throughout the years. In 1993 the Bell Street Pier, constructed in 1915, was relocated. Construction began again on the pier in 1988 with the development of the World Trade Center of Seattle. In the early 2000s the Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal opened, creating employment and economic opportunities in the tourism business. Improvements to security were put in hand following the September 11th attack. As of 2010 the port was continuing to expand as well as create records for cargo holding and efficiency. To mark the centennial in 2011, the Port of Seattle created a historical file with photos and information about the port's and the region's history. Today the port is still a major contributor to the Seattle economy.
Alliance with Tacoma
On October 7, 2014, the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma announced an agreement to "jointly market and operate the marine terminals of both ports as a single entity," though they were not merging. Joint operations began with the formation of the Northwest Seaport Alliance on August 4, 2015, creating the third-largest cargo gateway in the United States; by the end of the year, it reported more than 3.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units handled by the two ports, an increase of 4 percent.Long-term impoundment
A Porsche 959 imported by Bill Gates and Paul Allen was stored at the Port of Seattle for 13 years from 1987 by the Customs Service, until regulations were changed to allow vehicles of "historical or technological significance" to be imported with severe limitations on their use. Gates and Allen both helped pass the "Show or Display" law.Current issues
Recent years have brought significant changes to the Port of Seattle. In 2007, Tay Yoshitani joined the organization as CEO. Major scandals soon followed the start of his tenure. The port police department uncovered a significant problem with racist and pornographic emails. After the hiring of a new chief, the organization began to regain its footing, only to be thrust in the spotlight again by former CEO Mic Dinsmore, who claimed a sizable severance had been authorized by the commission. The organization refused to pay and the claim was dropped, though the situation led to an attempted recall of one commissioner. In December that year, the State Auditor's Office issued a critical report on the port's contracting practices. The audit report sparked an investigation by the Department of Justice, which was later closed without action.Newly elected commissioners and CEO Yoshitani implemented a series of reforms, including increased commission oversight of port construction projects and consolidation of the organization's procurement activities into one division to afford better control. Yoshitani also increased commitment to environmental practices. The port has many environmental programs, including shore power for cruise ships and a plan to clean up the Lower Duwamish Waterway. Increased container and cruise traffic has however increased community concerns, just as the new runway did.
In 2012, port commissioners began outreach on the Century Agenda, a strategic plan for the port's next 25 years. That same year, the Port became one of the most vocal opponents of the proposal to build a new arena in the Stadium District, although it has not been able to provide tangible proof or studies to refute what it says will cause issues for its operations. The City of Seattle studied the port's concerns at length and found them to be lacking in factual data or extensive studies.
In 2015, an agreement to berth Royal Dutch Shell semi-submersible offshore drilling rigs at the Port's Terminal 5 led to protests against Arctic drilling.
Port management
Current Port Commissioners
| Position | Commissioner | Office | Took office | Term expiry | Notes |
| Position 1 | Ryan Calkins | ||||
| Position 2 | Sam Cho | ||||
| Position 3 | Stephanie Bowman | Commission President | |||
| Position 4 | Peter Steinbrueck | ||||
| Position 5 | Fred Felleman | Vice President |
Former Port Commissioners
This list comes from a book published in 1976 and current events. Research ongoing for the rest of the names and terms.- Hiram M. Chittenden – 1912–15
- C. E. Remsberg – 1912–19
- Robert Bridges – 1912–19
- Dr. Carl A. Ewald – 1915–19
- T. S. Lippy – 1918–21
- W. D. Lincoln – 1919–32
- Dr. W. T. Christensen – 1919–22
- George B. Lamping – 1921–33
- George F. Cotterill – 1922–34
- Smith M. Wilson – 1932–42
- Horace P. Chapman – 1933–47
- J. A. Earley – 1934–51
- E. H. Savage – 1942–58
- A. B. Terry – 1947–48
- Gordon Rowe – 1949–54
- C. H. Carlander – 1951–62
- M. J. Weber – 1954–60
- Capt. Tom McManus – 1958–64
- John M. Haydon – 1960–69
- Gordon Newell – 1960–63
- Frank R. Kitchell – 1961–73
- Miner H. Baker – 1963–69
- Robert W. Norquist – 1963–69
- Merle D. Adlum – 1964–?
- J. Knox Woodruff – 1969–73
- Fenton Radford – 1969–70
- Paul S. Friedlander – 1970–?
- Henry L. Kotkins – 1970–?
- Jack S. Block – 1974–2001
- Henry T. Simonson – 1974–?
- Pat Davis - 1985-?
- Paige Miller - 1988-2005
- Gael Tarleton – 2008–2013
- Bill Bryant – 2008–2015
- Rob Holland – 2010–2013
- John Creighton – 2006–2018
- Tom Albro – 2014–2018
General Managers and CEOs
- J.R. West – 1933–1935
- Col. W.C. Bickford – 1935–1945
- Col. Warren D. Lamport – 1946–1951
- George T. Treadwell – 1951–1953
- Howard M. Burke – 1953–1964
- J. Eldon Opheim – 1964–1977
- Richard D. Ford – 1977–1985
- James D. Dwyer – 1985–1988
- Zeger van Asch van Wijck – 1989–1992
- Mic R. Dinsmore – 1992–2007
- Tay Yoshitani – 2007–2014
- Ted J. Fick – 2014–2017
- Dave Soike – 2017
- Stephen Metruck – 2017–present
Sister ports
- Kobe port, Japan – 1967
- Taichung port, Republic of China – 1997
Photos
Archives
- circa 1899–1960. 5.52 cubic feet.
- The , 1945–1986. 67.56 cubic feet. Contains records from Adlum's service as a member of the Seattle Port Commission from 1964–1983.
- 1861–1921. 4 scrapbooks. Contains records from Bridge's service as Seattle Port Commissioner from 1911–1920.