Charles Blood, Port of Seattle veteran, to retire

Led Port's commitment to diversity and small businesses

Charles Blood, architect of the Port of Seattle's successful Small Business Initiative and a veteran of a variety of positions in a career spanning nearly 33 years at the Port, will retire April 1, 2005.

Since taking over as director of executive outreach in April, 2001, Blood has led the Port's efforts to reach out to minority communities and small businesses, enabling them to participate in economic activities associated with the Port. He also has been responsible for contract compliance, diversity and apprenticeship programs for airport project management.

Before joining the executive offices at the Port, Blood managed airfield operations at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. He also was director of Human Resources in a long and varied career at the Port which began in 1972.

"No one has given more time, effort and energy to make Port programs successful," said Port CEO M.R. Dinsmore, in announcing the impending retirement. "It will be our goal and duty now to make sure Charles' legacy and commitment to small business and minority communities continue as a No. 1 priority for the Port of Seattle."

Blood is a graduate of Arkansas A M & N College, Pine Bluff, Arkansas and the management program of the University of Washington Graduate School of Business Administration.

He serves on the board of directors of the Pediatric Interim Care Center (PICC), the Urban Enterprise Center (UEC), the Puget Sound School-to-Work Alliance and the Construction Industry Workforce Committee.

A longtime advocate of employees' professional development and workplace diversity, Blood has received the Manager of the Year Award from the Port of Seattle Chapter of the National Management Association, and was first recipient of the Charles Blood Champion of Diversity Award established in his honor in the year 2000.

Dinsmore noted that John Okamoto, chief administrative officer at the Port, will head a team responsible for maintaining the Port's strong commitment to diversity and minority communities.