Dave Soike Celebrates 40 Years at the Port!

Each quarter, the Port celebrates employees who have reached a new five-year service milestone in their careers. Our Service Award Spotlight series seeks to highlight some of the longest tenured employees being recognized each quarter. Today we are spotlighting Dave Soike, Chief Operating Officer, who celebrates 40 years at the Port. Congratulations Dave! 

Dave Soike joined the Port in 1980 as a Junior Engineer. As a fresh engineering graduate, Dave applied to several different companies across California and Washington State. At the end of his first week at the Port and after days working in a construction trailer with no real task, Dave was approached by a construction inspector who said, “Come on kid, you’re coming with me!” and showed him everything going on, what it is like working with contractors, how to obtain samples for labs, and left Dave studying for the next week. After a rough first week, this simple interaction led Dave to stay at the Port. 

With 20 years of corporate experience, 10 years in maritime, and 10 years at the airport, Dave has held 12 different job titles at the Port before assuming his current role as Chief Operating Officer. Year after year, Dave chose to stay at the Port because of the variety of work available, the opportunities to learn and grow, and the size of the organization was just right – not too big, not too small. As a Chief Operating Officer, Dave oversees the activity and finances that take place port-wide. He loves solving problems, connecting with people, and working in teams. He notes that after 40 years at the Port, it is cool to see what has stuck and what processes other teams in a different time or department improve on. “No one does great things alone. We do great things together as a team!”

Reflecting upon the changes and big moments that Dave has experienced through the years, a memory that stands out to him was celebrating the completion of the SEA central terminal renovation project the summer of 2005. A large community party was held at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Central Terminal to celebrate the completion of the large construction project. The Port opened up the central terminal to the public for a large community party that included more than 5000 members from the local community. Workers who spent months building and creating the central terminal had the pride of showing off their work to family and friends, and it was a time of embracing and enjoying the moment together. 

When asked what his proudest accomplishment is at the Port, Dave quickly responded, “I met my wife and married her!” Outside of the Port, Dave enjoys spending time with his family and riding his bike. He also loves to explore the beautiful state of Washington; you can find him adventuring through the woods or spending time out on the water.