The Port of Tacoma's goal of naming a new executive director by the end of June has taken a sizable step forward with the announcement of the short list of five finalists for the $200,000 to $240,000 a year job.
The port commission on Thursday announced the list, which includes interim port director John Wolfe who has been handling day-to-day operations of the port since the start of the year. Outgoing executive director Tim Farrell's resignation took effect Monday.
Earlier this year, 59 applications were received for the position and the commission had already narrowed the field down to a list of twelve semi-finalists. Port officials plan to hold an event allowing the public to meet the five finalists before a decision is reached.
The finalists are:
Brian Boyle, with a background in terminal operations management, is vice-president of operational excellence and engineering with terminal operator Ports America in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Bernard Groseclose, whom the search firm gave high marks to for management abilities, most recently served a 12-year stint as executive director of South Carolina Ports Authority – a position he abruptly resigned in January 2009.
Ned LaGoy, with an executive background in several Jones Act shipping lines, is vice-president and general manager of Sea Star Shipping in Puerto Rico. LaGoy also served as an executive with Jones Act carrier Horizon Lines.
Ali Nikkhoo is a 24-year veteran of Sea-Land Service and its successor Maersk Line. He also has a background in trucking, forming a Long Beach, Calif. trucking firm in 2001 which he operated until recently selling the firm.
Interim Port of Tacoma executive director John Wolfe previously served as the port's deputy director. Prior to this he served for a decade with Sea-Land in Tacoma before taking the helm at the Port of Olympia as executive director.
