Port Employee Wins Transportation Club Award

Marla Kempf Honored for her Work in Bringing Cruise Ship Industry to Seattle's Waterfront

Marla Kempf, general manager of the Port of Seattle's Central Waterfront Piers and Properties, is the Transportation Club of Seattle's "Transportation Professional of the Year."

Kempf, a 20-year Port veteran, was cited for her "innovative and dedicated service to the transportation industry," plus her hands-on management approach to the development and completion in April 2000 of the Port's Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal at Pier 66. A total of 36 cruise ships called on Seattle during the terminal's inaugural season; this year, about 50 cruise ships with approximately 150,000 passengers are expected to call the Port's cruise terminal.

"The addition of homeport cruise ships to the Seattle harbor had more impact on the city than the Kingdome roof hitting the ground, and Marla Kempf was a key to bringing those ships here," said Transportation Club of Seattle President Alex Parkman. "Cruise ship passengers will significantly increase use of various modes of transportation and commerce within our community," he said, noting Kempf's strong leadership contribution to the team responsible for fulfilling the Port's vision of building a premiere-class cruise facility in Seattle.

The Port's 56,000-square-foot cruise terminal offers a concierge service, comfortable waiting areas, and an innovative mobile gangway that automatically adjusts to the tide and connects the vessel with the second floor embarkation hall.

Second-phase construction at the cruise terminal is near completion. Included in this final phase is a new 10,000-square-foot hospitality corridor, adjacent the public plaza, the Bell Street Diner, Anthony's Pier 66 restaurant, and Bell Harbor Marina. The corridor enhances the embarkation process for arriving passengers, and creates a new entrance to Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center and Bell Harbor International Conference Center.

"Perhaps Marla's greatest achievement was her professional management of the many puzzle pieces that needed to fit together on a very tight schedule in order to have a successful first cruise season," said Steve Sewell, managing director of the Port's Seaport Division.

An improved cruise ship terminal won't be the only new attraction this year at Pier 66. Royal Caribbean International is returning to Seattle with a new ship, Radiance of the Seas, for 16 Pacific Northwest sailings, and Norwegian Cruise Line has scheduled 23 trips to the fjords and glaciers of southeast Alaska aboard the Norwegian Sky.