28 people have applied to be the next Port of Olympia executive director. What’s next?
.JPG "The Port of Olympia’s marine terminal warehouse.")
The Port of Olympia commission voted Monday to hold a special meeting the week of Dec. 18 so that the three new commissioners can provide input into the search for the port’s next executive director.
The port is looking for a replacement for former director Sam Gibboney, who recently worked out a separation agreement with the port.
The port commission recently expanded to five people, including two new seats that are occupied by Maggie Sanders and Sarah Tonge, both of whom were previously sworn in and took part in Monday’s meeting.
Commissioner-elect Jasmine Vasavada, who spoke during public comment as a resident, will be sworn in Dec. 27 and participate in her first port meeting early next year. She will replace Commissioner Joe Downing. Monday’s meeting was his last.
Since September, the port has been working with an Issaquah recruitment firm called Prothman. The Prothman representative working with the port is Cliff Moore, a former Thurston County manager.
Moore told the commissioners that after a five-week application period he has received 28 applications. Based on a preliminary review of those applicants, he expects eight to 12 people to advance to the next stage in which he conducts a series of screening interviews based on information provided to him by the port, including surveys of port staff, the community and the port’s citizens advisory committee.
During public comment residents called on the port to slow down the hiring process so that the new commissioners could be part of it. Vasavada was among them.
“This is the single most important action we will take as a new five-member commission,” she said, adding that she is pleased to see the job search make some progress.
However, she felt the hiring process was missing some important criteria for the executive director. There was nothing about experience bargaining with unions, or managing a similar size staff or anything about transparency, she said. Vasavada also questioned how the survey data would be incorporated into a single filter before the screening begins.
“I would supplement with additional questions or amend the job description in a way that influences the recruiter before he applies his filter,” she said.
Commissioner Sanders made a motion to have Moore delay his screening interviews, but her motion was withdrawn when the idea of a special meeting was raised.
Commissioner Downing suggested the special meeting and it was approved unanimously. Commissioner Amy Evans Harding and interim Executive Director Rudy Rudolph agreed to work together to set a meeting date.
This story was originally published December 12, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
