With Gibboney’s return date uncertain, Port commission votes to raise interim director’s pay
Port of Olympia commissioners voted Monday to give interim executive director Rudy Rudolph a 5% boost in pay to $180,344 for duties he has assumed in Sam Gibboney’s absence.
Executive Director Gibboney has been absent from the port since June 1 when she first went on medical leave. She later extended that medical leave and then was put on paid administrative leave by the commission in early August.
Commissioner Joe Downing introduced the pay increase motion during the regular port commission meeting.
“We have an uncertain future date,” said Downing about Gibboney’s return. In light of that, he wanted to make sure that Rudolph is appropriately compensated for his additional workload and responsibilities.
“I want to give him an additional 5% pay raise for the duration of his term as interim executive director,” he said.
When Gibboney went on medical leave in June, Rudolph, a longtime port employee perhaps best known for his association with Olympia Regional Airport, was named acting executive director and received a 10% pay bump.
On Aug. 7, commissioners Amy Evans Harding and Bob Iyall emerged from executive session and announced that Gibboney had been placed on paid administrative leave; Rudolph was named interim director.
Evans Harding agreed with the increase in pay.
“A 15 percent increase in his pay is completely appropriate given the additional duties he has taken on and, if anything, is saving the taxpayers money, based on what he is doing for the port right now,” she said.
The 5% increase is retroactive to Sept. 1.
This story was originally published September 12, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
