Meet the Port of Olympia candidates in the Aug. 3 primary race
The race to fill two seats on the Port of Olympia commission has attracted five candidates, including three to fill the District 3 seat that will be vacated by commissioner E.J. Zita.
There is no primary in the District 2 race between Bob Iyall and Jessie W. Simmons, who are running to replace Bill McGregor, who also is not seeking re-election.
Those running for the District 3 seat are longtime family law attorney Melissa Denton, commercial real estate broker Amy Evans, and Joel Hansen, who works for CapStone Solar, which has an office in Lacey. Evans and Hansen are running for elected office for the first time, while Denton ran unsuccessfully for county commissioner in 2018.
The Olympian reached out to all three to learn more about them and their interest in running for the port.
Melissa Denton
Age: 60.
Occupation: Family law attorney at Ascher & Denton.
Those who have endorsed her: State Sen. Sam Hunt, Thurston County Commissioner Carolina Mejia, Lacey Deputy Mayor Cynthia Pratt.
Fundraising: Denton has raised about $13,250 in cash and in-kind contributions. More than $10,000 has come from individuals, according to state Public Disclosure Commission data.
Denton has worked as a family law attorney for more than 30 years, which she says has prepared her to learn, lead and listen to different points of view with respect and compassion.
“I am running because I want to use my skills to serve my community,” she said.
Those skills might come in handy because she’s already discovered on the campaign trail the sometimes fractious nature of the debate surrounding the Port of Olympia.
While Denton, Evans and Hansen have been campaigning for office, the state Department of Enterprise Services, which manages Capitol Lake, released the draft environmental report that focuses on the future of the body of water that runs from the end of Tumwater Falls to West Bay. It also includes the north basin, which most identify as the lake. The draft report examines three options: a managed lake; an estuary, in which the Fifth Avenue dam would be removed; and a hybrid of the two.
If the dam is removed, periodic dredging would have to take place in West Bay due to increased sediment, and that has long been a concern for the port.
Denton said constituents have asked pointed questions about the lake and dam. One person said to her, “If you declare the dam gone, you won’t have my support,” she recalls. She also has encountered those who want the dam to be removed.
“My point as a leader is that we all need to work together,” she said. “We all need to step up and cooperate.”
Denton declined to say which option she supports, but added that she will “follow the science” to make her decision.
Amy Evans
Age: 41.
Occupation: Kidder Mathews commercial real estate broker.
Those who have endorsed her: Tumwater City Councilwoman Leatta Dahlhoff, real estate broker/developer Priscilla Terry, and Leslie Shahan, vice president of operations for Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
Fundraising: Evans has raised almost $36,000 in cash and in-kind contributions. More than $29,000 has come from individuals, according to state PDC data.
Evans says she values collaboration. She said she has spent her life working with nonprofits, government and the private sector, making sure they talk to each other.
Evans wants to get past polarizing politics, particularly at the port where candidates can quickly be labeled either pro-growth or pro-environment, she said. She believes there is room for both.
As a commercial real estate broker, Evans worked with the port and Panattoni Development to create an option agreement, allowing Panattoni to explore development of port-owned property in Tumwater. That agreement was met with concern from Port Commissioner Zita and others on Tumwater City Council.
“I’m not here to be critical of what’s happened,” Evans said, adding that she supports the public process and public input. “It’s a healthy way for our community to function.”
However, Evans said she hopes people will look at the proposal through the lens of the entire community — how the potential deal helps not just the port, but how increased tax revenue helps others, such as the school district and firefighters, she said.
“You want to find a balance,” she said. “You want to do public good alongside environmental stewardship and sustainable growth. I think they can all live together.”
Joel Hansen
Age: 46.
Occupation: Handles solar possibilities and strategies for CapStone Solar.
Those who have endorsed him: State Rep. Jessica Bateman, Thurston County Commissioner Tye Menser and Port of Olympia Commissioner E.J. Zita.
Fundraising: Hansen has raised almost $24,000 in cash and in-kind contributions. More than $14,000 has come from individuals, state PDC data show.
Hansen said he is running because he has three things in mind for the port: the port can play a role in bringing high-speed broadband to rural parts of the county, the port should work to entice clean energy and other forward-thinking businesses to the area, and he believes the Fifth Avenue Dam on Capitol Lake should be removed.
But that last goal also means stakeholders need to come together to figure out how to manage sediment, he said.
The pandemic showed there is a need for high-speed broadband in south Thurston County, and Hansen believes the port can be a conduit to address that need. In fact, the port’s motto, “Connecting Thurston County to the world by air, land and sea,” should be updated to include broadband internet access, he said.
Hansen also said the port needs to take advantage of the talent in the community and the talent that is coming to the area daily. “People want to live here,” he said.
“We have what it takes to attract businesses, but we aren’t thinking big enough,” he said, adding that the port suffers from a “constipation of imagination.”
He said the Port of Whitman County in Eastern Washington has found success recruiting new businesses.
“If Pullman can do it, we can do it,” he said.
This story was originally published July 25, 2021 at 5:45 AM with the headline "Meet the Port of Olympia candidates in the Aug. 3 primary race."
