Friday, June 6, 2014

Port of Chehalis Hires New Director

By Mark Edward Nero

Randy Mueller, the director of business development at the Port of Ridgefield since April 2007, has been hired as the next executive director of the Port of Chehalis.

Mueller leaves the Port of Ridgefield after a little over seven years. At the port, he was the lead employee responsible for management of infrastructure and economic development projects, including real estate acquisition and development, transportation. He was also responsible for building the port’s real estate portfolio, and negotiated legal agreements and completed permitting and entitlements.

From May 2004 to February 2012, he owned his own community development and consulting business, spent seven months in 2003 as a legislative assistant with the Washington State Senate.

The Port of Chehalis, which was formed in 1986, is located in Lewis County, Washington halfway between Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon.

Mueller replaces former Executive Director Jim Rothlin, took the top administrative post at the Port of Bremerton in late 2013. Ex-Lewis County Public Utilities District manager Dave Muller was named the port’s interim director last December, but was not a finalist to serve in the job on a permanent basis.

Mueller is expected to begin his new job at the Port of Chehalis on June 23.