May 8, 2025
Black History Month may be over, but the Port of Seattle celebrates the accomplishments of our amazing team members all year long. African Americans have played a crucial role in shaping labor history, particularly in transportation, logistics, and infrastructure. Today, the Port honors this legacy by working to advance equity in the workplace, ensuring that all employees have access to opportunities for growth, leadership, and success in the maritime and aviation industries.
Read about the journeys of three women at the Port who play essential roles in maintaining and advancing Port operations.
Monica Petty, Lead Trainer
Landside Operations
Union Representative
Monica is the lead trainer for Landside Operations at the Port of Seattle. She supports Port bus drivers by conducting training sessions, mentoring new employees, and ensuring that staff meticulously follow safety protocols. She started her Port career as a bus driver and was promoted to lead trainer after demonstrating her commitment and skill.
Monica has played a pivotal role in enhancing the Port bus driver training program, significantly improving both operational efficiency and safety standards. She led a training session that resulted in a zero-incident month for her team — a milestone that boosted team morale and highlighted the importance of comprehensive training.
Reflections as a Black laborer
As a Black laborer in the transportation industry, Monica has faced biases and had to advocate for equal opportunities. Her perseverance and determination have helped her overcome challenges and achieve significant career milestones.
Monica credits her mother and mentors — including former union leaders and senior trainers — for their guidance and support. Their influence has been instrumental in her professional development and success.
She advices others entering the field to remain steadfast in pursuing their goals and seek out mentors who can provide valuable insights and encouragement. She believes that hard work, combined with the right support, can lead to remarkable achievements.
Personal interests
Outside of work, Monica enjoys spending time with her family and cooking. These activities allow her to connect with loved ones and provide balance to her busy career.
Tiffany English, Heavy Equipment Operator
Port Construction Services (PCS)
As a heavy equipment operator, Tiffany English is breaking barriers for women and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) construction workers in moving towards a more inclusive work force.
Tiffany worked as a union laborer for seven years before transitioning into the world of heavy equipment operation. During her time as a laborer, she worked around large machinery and cranes on jobsites and thought operating equipment looked fun and fulfilling. She also noticed a lack of women and Black workers in the field, which motivated her to pursue the career. Her employer supported her transition into the operators’ union, allowing her to remain employed while she completed her four-year equipment operator apprenticeship.
In 2017, Tiffany applied for a job at the Port of Seattle in search of steadier year-round work that matched her skill set. She jumped at the opportunity to apply her knowledge and skills with a company that prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Later that year, Tiffany was hired by Port Construction Services (PCS), where she now serves as a senior heavy equipment operator on the PCS Crew. The crew works on a variety of airport and waterfront construction projects across the Port.
During Tiffany’s time as an operator, her career highlights include:
- Collaborating with the PCS crew on the Passenger Loading Bridge Renewal and Replacement Project at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- Serving as a leader on the Port’s Change Team, which engages employees in applying equity and anti-racism principles in daily work
- Leading a project to bring electrical power to the Port of Seattle Police Department (POSPD) Bomb Disposal Unit at SEA
- Working around the clock with the PCS crew to support airport operations during inclement weather, power outages, and a cyberattack
- Contributing to the Elliott Bay Seawall project as part of the jet grouting team
- Installing artwork inside the International Arrivals Facility (IAF)
Reflections as a Black woman in labor
“I’ve seen a lot as a Black laborer — the good and the bad. We have come a long way, and there are more opportunities for people of color, but the playing field isn’t level yet. As a Black woman, I have faced challenges such as unfair treatment, being denied the same opportunities as my coworkers, and being called names. I let my hard work show for itself.”
Mentors and role models
“One of my mentors is my mom. She is the hardest-working woman in construction that I know. She started as a laborer and made it all the way up to quality assurance, then became a public ground liaison and senior civil inspector on the Seattle Seawall Project.”
Personal interests
Outside of work Tiffany enjoys spending time with friends and family. She volunteers with her church to build homes in rural Mexico, dedicating her time to helping others and demonstrating what is possible. She hopes that when young girls see her, they can envision a future for themselves in construction.
Appreciation
“Port Construction Services is made better by having Tiffany on our team. She is making a difference for all workers and is rewriting history for the next generation. Tiffany is not only leveling the earth and laying the pavement — literally — but also paving the way for a better tomorrow.”
Kelly Simmons, Sprinkler Fitter
Marine Maintenance Department
Kelly Simmons has worked as a sprinkler fitter in the Port of Seattle’s Marine Maintenance Department for nearly 31 years. Her journey into the trades began in 1993 when she was at a crossroads in life. She and her husband both lost their jobs during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays — while she was six months pregnant with their first child.
After Kelly’s daughter was born, her sister, a union laborer, encouraged her to join the Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Employment for Women (ANEW) pre-apprenticeship program. Kelly chose the sprinkler fitter trade knowing little about the work, but was motivated by the promise of good benefits and number of job opportunities.
When she learned the Port of Seattle was hiring an apprentice with no prior experience required, she applied and was selected for the position. But the transition wasn’t easy. During the first 90 days Kelly thought about quitting every day. The work was hard, sometimes intimidating, and the pay was modest, but it had good medical benefits. Benefits were essential because her daughter had asthma and often required medical care. Even though she struggled financially in the beginning, she knew if she stuck it out the money would come, and it would all be worth it. And as time went by the fear and uncertainty fell away.
Breaking barriers
As a member of Sprinkler Fitters union (Local 699), Kelly found community and family. For over 31 years, she has helped pave the path for women and people of color in this profession. Kelly was one of the first African American women to join her union chapter and the first to serve as Union President, Executive Board Member, Recording Secretary, and Shop Steward. She will also become the first African American woman to retire from her local chapter — and the first African American tradeswoman to retire from the Port’s Marine Maintenance team.
Kelly has remained passionate about creating opportunities for others. She actively recruits women of color into the trades and frequently presents at local schools to inform and inspire the next generation. She’s also played a key role in building a strong union presence at the Washington Women in the Trades Fair. She wants to break the stigma of working in a trade that many consider a second or last choice if college doesn’t work out.
Advice to the next generation
She stressed that young women considering a career in the trades should “Keep an open mind — no matter where you come from or where you’ve been, what hardships or obstacles you face, or wherever you are on your journey. The improbable and impossible are achievable when you give yourself the grace to believe in yourself and keep taking one step forward. That’s the message I would like to leave behind.”
Looking ahead
In retirement, Kelly plans to travel, garden, learn new languages, and stay involved with your union and community outreach.
She is proud of her career and the legacy she leaves behind, not just as a sprinkler fitter, but as a mother of two (one of whom also works in a trade) and a grandmother of three, she can fix anything. “I feel blessed and proud of my accomplishments. It was worth it.”
Read more stories about honoring Black Excellence at the Port
