Rachel Sanders, a Seattle native, brings nearly two decades of military leadership and operational experience to the Port of Seattle following an accomplished career in the U.S. Army Aviation Branch.
Rachel spent 18 years in the Army, beginning as a 15Q Air Traffic Controller and progressing to 15Z Aviation Senior Sergeant. During her military career, she deployed on five overseas tours and served in several key broadening assignments, including as the Army Aviation Liaison to FAA Headquarters and as a U.S. Army Disaster Response leader.
Among her notable assignments, Rachel served in Afghanistan as the first female assigned as the Special Operations Advisory Team (Central) First Sergeant. She also flew as a helicopter door gunner on combat air assaults with the Special Mission Wing.
Following her retirement from the Army, Rachel completed her degree and joined the Port of Seattle as a Veteran Fellow before transitioning into her current role as an Airport Duty Manager.
As part of her fellowship experience, Rachel was a member of the Labor Relations team from December 2025 through March 2026. During that period, she participated in more than 30 hours of collective bargaining across six bargaining units, along with eight hours of grievance or arbitration work, 13 hours of investigative support, and more than 20 hours of client and partner engagement in labor relations.
Rachel also completed a capstone project analyzing the Port of Seattle Firefighters’ complex pay structure. Her work included recommendations to the director aimed at streamlining the system ahead of upcoming bargaining efforts.
In addition, she co-authored a briefing tool outlining the duties and responsibilities of represented crafts and their unions within Aviation Maintenance, Marine Maintenance, and Port Construction Services. The tool helped depict the Port as a labor-forward organization and provided greater clarity regarding represented employee groups.
Throughout her fellowship, Rachel met with senior leaders across nearly all Port departments, strengthening professional networks and preparing for a permanent transition into the organization.
Her military service, leadership experience, and fellowship accomplishments reflect a continued commitment to public service and organizational excellence within the Port of Seattle.
