March 10, 2026
Written in 2021; updated March 2026
To celebrate Women’s History Month, the Port is highlighting some of the women who have made (and are still making!) history at the Port of Seattle. With these “herstories” the Port is celebrating just a few of those women who made essential contributions to the Port and paved the way for a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace.
Wendy Reiter
SEA Airport Managing Director (January 2026-present)
Wendy Reiter took the reins this January as the new managing director at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and is preparing to lead the airport through its transition from “now to WOW!” Reiter is a veteran leader at SEA and longtime partner to key federal aviation agencies, and most recently led Security, Fire, and Emergency Preparedness for the airport. Over the last 35 years she has held key management roles with airports and airlines in Seattle and in the Midwest. Her people-centric leadership will guide a division of 1,200 direct employees and the eleventh busiest airport in North America toward the future while continuing to meet the demands of today.
Gina Marie Lindsey
SEA Airport Managing Director (1992-2004)
“Her spirit and leadership will leave an indelible mark on the airport for generations to come.” – M.R. Dinsmore, former CEO, Port of Seattle
Gina Marie Lindsey led SEA during one of its most transformative eras. During her tenure, she oversaw a $4 billion expansion and modernization. These improvements were driven by surging aircraft operations and passenger and cargo volumes that had exceeded the airport’s capacity. She also provided critical leadership, during turbulent times, leading SEA’s recovery after the Nisqually earthquake on Feb. 28, 2001, and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
SEA’s International Arrivals Hall is named for Lindsey (Gina Marie Lindsey Arrivals Hall) to honor the key role she played in the airport’s makeover. Dedicated in August 2004, the hall was one of the many projects she initiated and led to completion.
According to the dedication plaque currently on display in the International Arrivals Hall “She always acted with the traveling public in mind, ever striving to make Sea-Tac (SEA) the best airport it could be.” She later went on to lead Los Angeles World Airports and served as Board Director of Vantage Group, building on a three-decade track record of major airport infrastructure development and management.
-
Read more about the airport during the time of Lindsey’s leadership on HistoryLink
Andrea Riniker
First female Airport Director, Port of Seattle Deputy Director, and Port of Tacoma Executive Director
Andrea Riniker definitely fits the “trailblazing” moniker; she was not only the first woman Director of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), but also the first woman Deputy Director at the Port of Seattle, and the first female Executive Director for the Port of Tacoma. Andrea served as airport director from 1988 -1993, where she faced numerous challenges such as airport noise and capacity issues amidst rising passenger and cargo traffic numbers. Airport capacity and future growth were hot topics, and the planning discussions and the start of the third runway planning at SEA happened during her tenure, as well as major airport renovations. She was promoted to Deputy Director of the Port of Seattle and served in that role from 1993-1997, and then was selected as the first female Executive Director of the Port of Tacoma, where she served from 1997-2005. Her unique blend of experience gave her a robust regional perspective, which she used to build cooperation on topics such as freight mobility and invest in infrastructure that enabled growth at both the airport and local seaports.
Read more about airport and seaport issues during the time of Andrea’s leadership on HistoryLink:
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport: Part 4 — Ascent and Dissent (1980-2008)
- Port of Tacoma — Thumbnail History, Part 3
Stephanie Jones Stebbins
Managing Director, Maritime (2017-present)
Stephanie Jones Stebbins serves as the Managing Director of Maritime at the Port of Seattle, leading a very diverse maritime portfolio. A veteran Port leader for nearly 30 years, she brings deep experience in policy, sustainability, operations, and long-range planning, and has been a driving force behind major initiatives that strengthen the region’s maritime economy. She oversees cruise operations, commercial fishing, recreational marinas, the grain terminal, industrial properties, capital development, planning, portfolio and asset management, and a maintenance team, guiding teams across the waterfront toward operational excellence and sustainable growth.
Her leadership has enabled teams to deliver major accomplishments, including installing shore power at every cruise berth, creating the world’s first green corridor for cruise, record breaking cruise seasons, redevelopment of Fishermen’s Terminal, and completion of the $300M+ Terminal 5 modernization project. In her previous roles, she also led development of the first Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy, establishment of the Port’s Stormwater Utility and Habitat line of business, and shaped the long-term vision for Fishermen’s Terminal.
Jones Stebbins holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Duke University and a master’s in Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina, grounding her leadership in both technical expertise and strategic insight.
Linda Styrk
First female Managing Director of Maritime at the Port of Seattle
Linda Styrk served as the first female managing director of maritime at the Port of Seattle for nearly 10 years, from 2005-2015. And her career has touched every aspect of the maritime industry. After receiving her degree in Nautical Industrial Technology from the California Maritime Academy, Linda held an active U.S. Coast Guard license as a Third Mate. Since then, Linda has held multiple leadership roles in international logistics and container transportation. She currently serves as the first female Executive Director of the Puget Sound Pilots, an 84-year-old organization. The Puget Sound Pilots play a unique role in Washington State, which requires pilots on the bridge of every large ship sailing in Puget Sound, from cruise ships to container vessels. Throughout her career, she has been a strong champion of the maritime industry and the importance of marine cargo for the region’s economy.
- Read a Daring Women profile of Styrk in Seattle magazine
- Watch a video of Styrk talking about the future of the maritime industry
Kevin Catherine Castle
First female crane operator at the Port of Seattle
In 1980, a year after graduating from the University of Washington, Kevin Catherine Castle was one of the first women to join International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Seattle Local 19, loading and unloading ships on Seattle's Elliott Bay waterfront. Over the next two decades she advanced and became the first woman to operate a container crane at the Port of Seattle.
- Read her HistoryLink account of her career on the docks and in the cabs of the 15-story-tall cranes, maneuvering 60-ton containers on and off huge cargo ships
