Port of Olympia commission expected to select executive director finalists next week
.JPG "The Port of Olympia’s marine terminal warehouse.")
The Port of Olympia commission continued to work on its executive director hiring process during a Tuesday work session, including a plan to select finalists as early as next week.
Cliff Moore, a former Thurston County manager who now works for Prothman, an Issaquah-based recruiting firm, met with commissioners Tuesday.
Moore said 34 people applied for the opening, but he has whittled down that number to 15 candidates. He will now send all of that information — his notes about the candidates, plus cover letters and resumes — to the commissioners this week.
The commissioners agreed to send Moore their 10 favorite questions so they can be incorporated into panel interviews in early February.
After the commission selects finalists next week, here are some key dates:
▪ Feb. 5. The port is expected to have a public reception with the executive director candidates. Although the meeting will be informal, each candidate will get a chance to address the gathering and explain who they are and their interest in the position, Moore said.
▪ Feb. 6. The candidates will be interviewed by two panels, followed by an executive session in which the commission discusses candidate qualifications. That could be followed by a special meeting in which the commission makes its decision, or tables that action for a future meeting.
One of the panels will be the commission itself. The commission on Tuesday discussed who should serve on the second panel.
Some suggestions for panel representation: a union member; Joel Hansen, a former commission candidate who now serves on the port’s citizen advisory committee; an executive level staffer from the port; and a representative from the Thurston Economic Development Council or Thurston County Chamber of Commerce. There also were suggestions to have someone with an environmental background serve on the panel.
Moore reminded the commission that if someone isn’t selected to serve on the panel, they could certainly be invited to the public reception.
What’s the role of the second panel? To debrief the commission on the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates, but not to rank them, Moore said.
The port needs to replace former executive director Sam Gibboney, who agreed in September to part ways with the organization.
This story was originally published January 17, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
