Letter from the Commissioners

Dear community member, customer or tenant:

You may have heard by now that Port of Seattle CEO Mic Dinsmore announced his retirement for early in 2007. While we regret Mr. Dinsmore’s decision to step down, we support his desire to open another chapter in his life. He is leaving the Port an unparalleled legacy. The Port Commission is dedicated to finding a new leader who will continue, and build upon this legacy.

We are asking for your help in determining what qualities the new Port of Seattle CEO should possess. Attached is a list of qualifications that the commissioners have drafted. But we very much want to hear from you and other members of the community on this.

You can help in one of three ways: Send an e-mail with suggested additions or corrections to the list; write your suggestions on the list and send it to us at the Commission Office, Port of Seattle, P.O. Box 1209, Seattle, 98111, or attend one of the meetings we are holding in the community and at our facilities between now and mid-August.

Our process for choosing Mr. Dinsmore’s replacement will be to collect all the community input on the CEO qualifications and hire an executive search firm by the end of summer. The commission will interview candidates in the fall, with the goal of choosing a new CEO by the end of the year. The new person then will be on board as we start 2007, for a time of transition with CEO Mic Dinsmore.

We welcome your response to the list now, or mark your calendar for one of the dates below to give us your comments in person. Thank you for your interest.

Port of Seattle Commissioners

Patricia Davis, President

John Creighton

Bob Edwards

Alec Fisken

Lloyd Hara

Port of Seattle CEO Qualifications Community Input Meetings

Date	Time	Place
Thursday, July 20	7 p.m.	International District/Chinatown Community Center 719 8th Ave. South, Seattle
Thursday, August 3	7 p.m.	City of SeaTac City Hall 4800 S. 188th St., SeaTac
Thursday, August 10	7 p.m.	Nordic Heritage Museum 3014 NW 67th St., Seattle
Wednesday, August 16	7 p.m.	North Bellevue Community and Senior Center 4063 148th Ave. N.E., Bellevue

Customer and Tenant Input Meetings

Date	Time	Place
Tuesday, August 8	11:30 a.m.	Port of Seattle Headquarters Pier 69 2711 Alaskan Way, Seattle
Tuesday, August 22	11:30 a.m.	Seattle-Tacoma International Airport International Conference Rooms

Composite CEO Candidate Qualifications

CEO Responsibility:

Leadership in building on long-range Port policies and strengthen the Port’s global position in a strong regional economy.

Skills/Abilities:

Proven leadership skills in leading and developing a large and complex organization
Ability to build and inspire a skilled team of professionals to manage and operate the Port’s multiple businesses
Talent for working with elected Commission members as individuals and as a team
Aptitude for establishing and maintaining solid relationships with customers
Interest in new ideas, including the need for change based on a global marketplace

Experience:

Proven record in successfully managing and growing a complex organization with a large employee base, multiple lines of business and a budget of over $500 million
Over 15 years’ experience managing a seaport or airport or other transportation or highly capital-intensive business
Experience in large scale transportation or economic development infrastructure projects
Proven ability to negotiate contracts and leases
Strong track record in sound financial management, including an effective system of financial controls and oversight
Experience in attracting, managing and building relationships with domestic and international customers
Solid understanding of the Port as a public sector enterprise operating in an intensely competitive and volatile private sector business environment
Track record of strong commitment to environmental stewardship
Experience in managing relations with unionized workers and negotiating collective bargaining agreements
Extensive experience in employee management and team building, including a record of emphasis on diversity in hiring and promotion, and building cultural awareness in the Port’s workforce
Commitment to Port leadership in seaport and airport security while ensuring the flow of international commerce
Strong credentials in interface with the public: community groups, other governments, minority groups and interest groups
Record of establishing clear and visible internal and external communications about the Port’s activities and mission
Experience in creating and executing a strategic plan that includes high-performance operations, economic development, new business opportunities, customer retention and growth, and solid financial performance

Personal Qualities:

Leadership – ability to motivate, lead by example, inspire
Sound judgment
Pragmatic, decisive
Flexible, adaptable
Entrepreneurial, innovative
Energetic, enthusiastic
Honest, high degree of integrity
Strong interpersonal skills -- open to suggestions, willingness to listen, ability to persuade
Effective communicator
Action-oriented
Compassionate and caring
Mature, able to empower others and ability to grow personally
Fair/just/balanced approach to issues
Sense of humor
Alignment with Port values

Education:

Advanced degree, MBA or other preferred