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 Tay Yoshitani |
 Linda Strout |
 Mark Reis |
 Charlie Sheldon |
 Elaine Ko |
 Ralph Graves |
 Dan Thomas |
 Craig Watson |
 Kurt Beckett |
 Joe McWilliams |
 Paul Isaki |
Tay Yoshitani, appointed CEO of the Port of Seattle in January, 2007, began the role in March. As CEO, he carries out policies set by the Port Commission and leads Seattle’s Seaport, one of the largest container ports in North America, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which welcomes more than 29 million passengers a year.
Prior to joining the Port of Seattle, Yoshitani served as Senior Advisor to the National Association of Waterfront Employers (2004 to 2007), providing industry expertise on port security and environmental issues.
Previously he served as Executive Director of the Port of Oakland (2001 to 2004), where he led a significant expansion program to substantially increase the size of both the seaport and airport. He oversaw environmental permitting and planning that enabled construction to begin on the airport expansion, including the Terminal Improvement Program that used “green building” technology. He also led the effort to transfer ownership and begin cleanup of two military bases and convert them into container terminals and rail yards. By doing significant environmental cleanup at the same time as the seaport construction, the effort saved millions of dollars and nearly a decade of red tape. He served as Oakland’s Deputy Executive Director from 1998 to 2001.
He is credited with creating the first master plan at the Maryland Port Administration, where he served as Executive Director (1995 to 1998). His accomplishments there included turning around the floundering Port. As Deputy Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles (1989 to 1995), he oversaw the creation of the West Coast’s largest dry bulk export terminal.
As president of Grand American, Inc. (1987-1989), Yoshitani directed property development and management operations specializing in office buildings and retail centers in three states. From 1975 to 1987 he also held various positions for Fortune 500 companies including Castle & Cooke, Inc., and Avery International.
Prior to becoming Executive Officer in Viet Nam for an engineering company, he attended U.S. Army Airborne and Ranger training. He served as aide-de-camp for the Commanding General, U.S. Army, Japan, and was honorably discharged at the rank of Captain.
Yoshitani, the fourth son of American-born parents, came to the U.S. as a 7-year-old aboard a ship that sailed from Yokohama and docked in Seattle in 1954. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and earned his MBA at Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. He serves on the National Urban Fellows, Inc. Board of Directors.
Linda Strout was named deputy chief executive officer in February 2004. She provides oversight for the Port's legal, risk management, records management, health and safety services, corporate environmental, engineering, Port construction services and the Port Police Department.
Strout joined the Port in January 1989 and served as the Port's general counsel from December 1991 through February 2004. Prior to joining the Port, she was a principal in the Seattle law firm of Skellenger and Bender, where she practiced general commercial and municipal law for nine years. Her practice consisted primarily of complex commercial and construction litigation, with an additional emphasis in real estate leasing and purchase and sales transactions. She also assisted in tax-exempt financings for a variety of Washington municipalities.
Strout earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Washington and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Puget Sound School of Law (now Seattle University). She has been a member of the Washington Bar since 1979. She served as president of the 5,000-plus member King County Bar Association in 1998 to 1999, and served on the Association's Board of Trustees from 1991 to 1998. She currently serves on several outside boards, including Artist Trust Board of Trustees, Columbia Legal Services Board of Trustees and Seattle University - School of Law Alumni Board of Governors.
Mark Reis is the managing director of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the 17th busiest passenger airport in the nation, providing service to almost 30 million passengers in 2006.
Reis was the deputy managing director of Sea-Tac Airport from 2000 to 2004. Prior to that position, he was the general manager of commercial development at Sea-Tac and director of finance for the Port of Seattle as a whole. He has worked for the Port since 1988.
Mark is on the Board of Directors of the Woodland Park Zoo and the Founding Board of Directors of Aviation High School of the Highline School District. He is Vice Chair of the Government Relations Committee of Airports Council International - North America and a member of the Policy Review Committee of the American Association of Airports Executives.
Prior to joining the port, Reis was executive director of two Seattle-based non-profit organizations, the Northwest Conservation Coalition and the Northwest Renewable Resources Center. From 1978 to 1980, he worked for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs on energy legislation.
Reis earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a Bachelor's degree in environmental studies from Western Washington University.
Charlie Sheldon is the managing director of the Port of Seattle's Seaport Division, which owns and manages facilities that serve international maritime transportation and the passenger cruise, fishing, workboat and recreational boating industries, as well as a wide range of commercial and industrial properties.
Sheldon began serving as managing director in September 2002. He joined the Port in 1990 and previously served as director of the $2.6 billion Capital Improvement Program at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where he directed more than $1 billion in capital improvements and successfully completed 42 major projects. From 1992 to 1998, Sheldon led the Port's Southwest Harbor Project, which included the $275 million expansion of Terminal 5.
Prior to joining the Port of Seattle, Sheldon worked for the Port Department of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He also spent many years in the fishing industry on the East Coast as a deckhand, mate and skipper.
He holds a Bachelor's degree in American Studies and Regional Planning from Yale and a Master of Science degree in Resources Management from the University of Massachusetts.
Dan Thomas has served as chief financial officer since August 2000 and was appointed treasurer in 2002 when the Port took over responsibility for its treasury management activities from the King County Office of Financial Management. He is responsible for the Port's accounting, finance, budgeting, strategic planning and information technology functions.
Thomas started at the Port in 1990 as a graduate intern, and following a succession of promotions, became director of Finance and Budget in 1997. During his tenure at the Port, Thomas has directed the Port's overall capital financing program and has overseen more than $3 billion in debt financing transactions, including the nation's first long-term revenue bond issue secured solely by Passenger Facilities Charges and a pioneering, $217-million, off-balance sheet financing for the expansion of Terminal 18 on Harbor Island. Thomas also has developed and implemented innovative financing strategies, including the use of Tax-Exempt Commercial Paper, a variable-rate debt program and refinancing transactions that have saved the Port millions of dollars in annual interest costs. Thomas has also led the Port's e-business initiative, which has improved customer service, reduced operating costs and enhanced workforce productivity through the widespread adoption and use of Internet technology throughout the organization.
Prior to coming to the Port, Thomas worked for a real estate investment firm and as a professional musician. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Business Administration in finance from the University of Washington.
Thomas is a member of the CFO Forum at the University of Washington and serves as a Trustee for the Port of Seattle Warehousemen's Pension and Health and Welfare Trusts. He is also President of the Washington Chapter of Financial Executives International, and a member of the Association of Finance Professionals and the Government Finance Officers Association. In addition, he serves as Chair of the Northwest Harvest Board of Directors and is a member of the Governor's Council of Economic Advisors.
Craig Watson is currently the General Counsel for the Port. As the Port’s attorney Mr. Watson provides legal advice on a wide range of issues to the Port Commission, Executive, Seaport, and Airport Divisions.
Watson also supervises the Port’s six in-house attorneys and their support staff. The Port’s in-house attorneys handle a variety of matters under Watson’s supervision, including real estate and land use, contract, construction, and environmental issues. Watson particularly specializes in labor and employment matters. He also oversees the work of outside counsel retained by the Port to supplement the work of the Port’s staff attorneys.
Prior to coming to the Port in 1990, Watson was a litigator in private practice with the law firm of Bullivant Houser Bailey in Seattle. At Bullivant, Watson was lead defense attorney on numerous personal injury, employment, and civil rights matters. He began working for Bullivant after serving for two years as a law clerk at the Oregon Court of Appeals. He received his law degree from the Willamette College of Law located in Salem, Oregon. He is a 1977 graduate (AB, History) of the University of California, Berkeley.
Kurt Beckett joined the Port in November 2007 as the External Affairs Director.
Beckett comes to the Port after serving as Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell since 2004 and her deputy chief of staff since 2001. He previously worked for Congressman Norm Dicks for nearly 10 years, most recently as District Director. Beckett is a graduate of the University of Washington.
Beckett brings great perspective, key experience in policy development and a passion for working with people in the community. He will serve as a member of the Port's Executive Team and supervise Government Relations, Public Affairs and policy-level media relations.
Joe Mc Williams is the Managing Director of the Real Estate Division, covering a real estate portfolio that encompasses development sites, central waterfront properties, greenbelts and parks, Bell Harbor Conference Center and Marina, Shilshole Bay Marina, Harbor Island Marina, Fisherman’s Terminal, and a variety of office, retail, and industrial properties.
This division provides services to the Airport and Seaport Divisions to assist those with acquiring, disposing of, or otherwise managing their real estate holdings. In addition, the Real Estate Division is responsible for facility management of Pier 69, print shop and fleet management and the operations of the Seaport Maintenance group.
Prior to joining the Port, McWilliams was the Southwest Regional Manager for PHAROS Corporation, a fee-for-services real estate firm providing acquisition services for infrastructure development for government and railroad clients. His territory covered the states of Arizona, Oklahoma, and Texas and served cities, counties, and the respective state departments of transportation.
McWilliams was one of seven project directors on the Seattle Monorail Project before the project was retired. During his tenure, along with establishing the acquisition protocol and real estate operational policies for the agency, approximately $70 million worth of real estate was acquired for station locations and the seven acre operations base.
His experience in commercial real estate includes managing the local operations for Cushman and Wakefield, and 12 years at Wright, Runstad and Company with a portfolio that extended from Anchorage to Los Angeles, and east to Boise.
McWilliams has a business management degree from Texas Tech University and is a past president and trustee of Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), Seattle and King County; former chair of the Downtown Seattle Association Metropolitan Improvement District and the Business Improvement Advisory Board; and former trustee of the Lake Washington Technical College Foundation Board.
Elaine I. Ko joined the Port of Seattle as its first director of the new Office of Social Responsibility in January 2008. Ko has over 3 decades of community service and leadership, as a community leader and advocate. She started a non-profit agency at age 23 (which is still thriving today), and has worked in leadership positions with King County, and City of Seattle under Mayor Norm Rice in the 90s as the Director of the Seattle Office for Women's Rights. She operated her own small business for over 7 years, and most recently served as Executive Director of Inter*I’m Community Development Association in Seattle’s International District.
A Seattle native, she earned her BA degree in communications at the University of Washington and her MBA at City University. Ko has an ambitious vision and goals for the new Office, working with committed Port professionals and staff, to be a beacon of social responsibility for this important organization.
Ralph Graves is managing director of Capital Development, overseeing project management, design and construction and contracting services in support of the business plans and infrastructure needs of the Port.
Prior to joining the Port as managing director in August 2008, Graves was a project manager in the Seattle office of Parsons Brinckerhoff, a world-wide engineering firm.
Graves served 29 years as an officer in the U.S. Army, retiring with the rank of Colonel. He commanded Corps of Engineers Districts in Seattle and Honolulu and was Deputy Commander of the Baltimore District. Responsibilities included water resources development, environmental protection and remediation and major construction on Army and Air Force bases. Earlier military assignments included troop duty in Korea, Germany and Operation Desert Storm and teaching at the Army Engineer School and at West Point.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree from West Point, a Master of Engineering from U.C. Berkeley, a Master of Science from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and a Doctorate from Stevens Institute. In Seattle he has been active with Seafair and the Society of American Military Engineers.
Paul leads a department that implements programs in conjunction with the Port of Seattle’s Seaport and Aviation businesses to further international trade and business. He also manages the Port’s initiatives in regional economic development. Paul also supervises the Port’s five overseas trade offices and advises Port CEO Tay Yoshitani on strategic trade, business and economic development issues.
Prior to joining the Port, Paul served former Washington Governor Gary Locke in a series of demanding positions – Special trade representative, Chief-of-Staff, and Special Assistant for Business. In the latter role he was responsible for overseeing a major reform initiative of the state’s environmental permitting system. Paul was also a key member of the team that put together Washington’s winning bid for the Boeing’s 787 airliner’s final assembly site at Everett, Washington.
Complimenting a challenging professional career in both the private and public sectors, Paul Isaki contributes his time and energy as a volunteer or board member to various community and civic organizations. Among the organizations Paul has been actively involved include the Pilchuk Glass School, the Seattle Symphony, Washington Council on International Trade, Seattle World Affairs Council, Technology Alliance, Japanese American Citizens League, enterpriseSeattle, and the Pacific Science Center.
In 2003, Paul was recognized as “World Citizen” by the Seattle World Affairs Council for his contributions to international relations and world trade.
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