On Feb. 24, Port of Seattle CEO Ted Fick presented to his
port commission a series of organizational changes that he said are part of the
initial phase of a series of measures to help aid the port’s growth strategy.
“During my first five months on the job I’ve recognized that
we have many opportunities to grow our already significant impact on the
region’s economy, to increase revenue, and to boost our operational excellence
and effectiveness,” Fick said.
The announced realignment aims to grow operations and
increase jobs throughout the region and state by promoting economic
development, Fick said, as well as advancing the port’s Century Agenda, a
25-year strategy for building a sustainable regional economy through targeted
business initiatives and partnerships with public and private sectors.
Organizational changes include the creation of an Office for
Strategic Initiatives to provide a launch pad for good ideas and process
improvements; a new Economic Development office that will encompass a number of
existing functions such as Real Estate, Office of Social Responsibility,
Tourism Development; and a new small business ‘incubator’ to become a primary
economic growth driver for the port.
Also, a new Maritime Division will include all remaining
water-borne businesses – cruise, fishing, and recreational boating. There will
be an increased number of executive staff reporting directly to the CEO,
including Labor Relations. Seattle’s Airport Division will remain structured
as-is.
“By flattening the organization, it will give me a more
focused opportunity to make a direct impact on the organization, such as Labor
Relations and Economic Development,” Fick said. “This is just the first phase
of a reorganization that will continue for a couple of years as we grow the
business.”
