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 Tay Yoshitani |
 Kurt Beckett |
 Mark Reis |
 Linda Styrk |
 Dan Thomas |
 Craig Watson |
 Ralph Graves |
 Joe McWilliams |
 Patricia Akiyama |
Tay Yoshitani joined the Port of Seattle as its CEO in March 2007. He carries out policies set by the Port Commission and leads the Port’s operating divisions, including the 8th largest container port in the nation, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which welcomes more than 32 million passengers a year.
He rebranded the Port of Seattle to create a competitive edge, and created the tagline: Where a Sustainable World is Headed. He challenged the staff to become the cleanest, greenest and most energy efficient port in the nation. He also established new policies and procedures and realigned the staffing structure to increase accountability and transparency and provide more focus on core businesses. He created a Real Estate division, a Capital Development Division and an office of Social Responsibility, which serves to provide equal opportunities for disadvantaged businesses to work with the Port.
He oversaw the opening of Sea-Tac Airport’s third runway, the Port’s new Smith Cove Cruise Terminal, and the re-opening of the Terminal 30 as a container facility.
From 2004 to 2007, Yoshitani served as Senior Advisor to the National Association of Waterfront Employers, providing industry expertise on port security and environmental issues.
As Executive Director of the Port of Oakland from 2001 to 2004, he led a significant expansion of both the seaport and airport, overseeing environmental permitting and planning that enabled the airport expansion to use “green building” technology. He was 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 from 1995 to 1998. 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.
A U.S. Army veteran, Yoshitani 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 and the National Center for APEC Board. He serves on the boards of a number of local Seattle civic and trade-related organizations.
Kurt Beckett joined the Port in November 2007 as the External Affairs Director and in 2010 was promoted to Chief of Staff.
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.
Mark Reis is the managing director of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the 17th busiest passenger airport in the nation, providing service to almost 31 million passengers in 2009.
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.
Reis is on the Board of Directors of Airports Council International – North America, the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Woodland Park Zoo and Aviation High School of the Highline School District.
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.
Linda Styrk has been chosen to helm the Port of Seattle’s Seaport division. Styrk most recently served as the port’s Director of Seaport Marketing.
Styrk came to the port in 2005. Prior to joining the organization, she served as president of Universal Freight Forwarders in Seattle; the U.S. office and warehouse for Lauritzen Cool Logistics, AB. Styrk also spent nineteen years serving in a variety of positions with APL, Ltd., one of the world’s largest international logistics and container transportation companies.
Styrk received her degree in Nautical Industrial Technology from the California Maritime Academy and has done graduate work in international studies. She serves on a number of boards, including the executive committee of the Manufacturing Industrial Council and the advisory board for the University of Washington’s Global Trade, Transportation and Logistics program.
Dan Thomas has been with the Port since 1990 and oversees the accounting, finance, budgeting, risk management, human resources, health and safety, labor relations, and information technology functions.
Thomas became Chief Financial Officer in 2000 and was appointed Port Treasurer in 2002 when the Port took over responsibility for its treasury management activities from the King County Office of Financial Management. 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.
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 past president of the Washington Chapter of Financial Executives International, former Chair of the Northwest Harvest Board of Directors and is a former member of the Washington State Governor's Council of Economic Advisors. He is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association and serves as a Trustee for the Port of Seattle Warehousemen's Pension Trust.
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.
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.
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 with acquiring, disposing of, or otherwise managing their real estate holdings. In addition, the Real Estate Division is responsible for facility management of the Port headquarters at Pier 69, fleet management and Seaport Maintenance.
Prior to joining the Port, McWilliams was the Southwest Regional Manager (Arizona, Oklahoma, and Texas) for PHAROS Corporation, a fee-for-services real estate firm providing acquisition services for infrastructure development for government and railroad clients.
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, 12 years at Wright, Runstad and Company with a portfolio that extended from Anchorage to Los Angeles, and east to Boise and 10 years with Gerald Hines Interests of Houston, culminating with responsibilities for properties in the Midwestern, Chicago Region.
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.
Patricia Akiyama joined the Port of Seattle in 2010 as the External Affairs Director where she leads the government relations, public affairs and regional transportation groups.
Prior to joining the Port, Akiyama was director of government and community relations for Russell Investments, where she had primary responsibility for engaging elected representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate and the Washington State Legislature. She also oversaw Russell’s corporate sponsorships and charitable grant-making programs, including Russell’s focused giving initiative that awarded grants locally and globally to innovative programs that address gaps in child welfare and financial literacy.
Before joining Russell in 2008, Akiyama worked with Weyerhaeuser Company as a government and community affairs manager, later becoming director of government affairs for Quadrant Homes, Weyerhaeuser’s Puget Sound real estate subsidiary.
A former chief of staff for U.S. Senator Patty Murray from 1995 to 1999, Akiyama also served as Senator Murray’s press secretary and later as senior staff coordinator for Rep. Frank Chopp when he was co-speaker of the Washington State House of Representatives. She held roles in public information for the Washington State House of Representatives and the Washington State Senate, served as the legislative liaison for the Washington State Department of Trade and Economic Development, and worked for a Seattle public affairs consulting firm.
Akiyama is a member of the Community Development Roundtable, the Alki Foundation board and is a program mentor for Executive Development Institute. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications & Film from the University of Oregon. She is an alumnus of the Senior Managers in Government Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Alki Political Involvement Institute; and Leadership Tomorrow.