Felleman, Gregoire Win Seattle Commission Seats

By Mark Edward Nero

Environmental consultant and marine biologist Fred Felleman has won the race to replace Bill Bryant on the Port of Seattle Commission, while incumbent Courtney Gregoire also was victorious in the battle for her seat.

Four people were vying for two seats in the Nov. 3 election. Results show Felleman with 56 percent of the vote in the election for the District 2 seat, while his opponent, Marion Yoshino, a former Normandy Park City Council member, received 43 percent.

In the race for the District 2 seat, Gregoire received 85 percent of the vote, compared to her opponent, a perennial candidate who goes by the name Goodspaceguy, who received 15 percent.

This was Gregoire’s second election: she was appointed to the commission in March 2013 and won in the general election that same year.

Felleman, however, has not held public office before. He holds a Masters of Science in Fisheries from the University of Washington and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Michigan.

He campaigned on a platform of creation of well-paying jobs while protecting the working waterfront and the environment, plus spoke in favor of more transparency in the port’s operations.

“Thank you, King County voters, for putting your faith in me to increase the Port’s transparency and ecological integrity,” Felleman said in a message posted on his campaign website after his victory. “I look forward to working with the other Commissioners to that end, while creating good paying jobs in the face of global competition and climate change.”

Port Commission Co-Presidents Re-Elected

By Mark Edward Nero

The Port of Seattle Commission on Jan. 6 re-elected Co-Presidents Stephanie Bowman and Courtney Gregoire to another one year term.

Bowman and Gregoire, who were both appointed to the board in 2013, were first elected co-presidents of the five-person commission in January 2014. Bowman, who worked at the Port of Tacoma from 2006 to 2011, is now executive director of the Washington Asset Building Coalition, a group that promotes ways for middle- and low-income people to earn, save and invest money.

“The Port of Seattle is a unique part of our region’s diverse economy,” Bowman said. “As we embark on this New Year, we remain focused on creating and improving opportunity for the people of King County and beyond.”

Gregoire is an attorney for Microsoft and the daughter of former Gov. Christine Gregoire.

“We began 2014 with a focus on critical issues including enhancing the competitiveness of our seaport, finding the right executive leadership for the port, and expanding job opportunities in our communities,” Gregoire said. “We made great progress over the past year and we look forward to building on these gains in 2015.”

In addition to the co-presidents being re-elected, the commission chose member John Creighton to serve as vice president, Tom Albro to serve as commission secretary, and Bill Bryant to serve as assistant secretary for 2015.

New Seattle Port Commissioner Chosen

The Port of Seattle Commission has selected Stephanie Bowman to fill the seat vacated in March by former commissioner Rob Holland. Bowman, executive director of the Washington Asset Building Coalition, was previously the Port of Tacoma’s manager of federal government affairs.

“She has the background and skills to be an outstanding member of our commission and asset to the port,” Seattle Commission President Tom Albro said. “Her in-depth knowledge of port issues will enable her to hit the ground running.”

Bowman becomes the second new member of the five-person commission in as many months. In early March, Microsoft attorney Courtney Gregoire was chosen to fill the seat that was vacated earlier this year by Gael Tarleton, who was elected to the Washington House of Representatives.

Bowman, who was selected from seven finalists to fill the seat, worked at the Port of Tacoma from 2006 to 2011 and was a candidate in 2012 for the state House of Representatives, running in the same race as Holland.

Both lost in the primary.

Both Gregoire’s and Bowman’s positions on the commission are scheduled to be on the King County ballot in November; the winner in the race for Gregoire’s seat will serve until 2015, while the winner in the election for Bowman’s seat would receive a full four-year term.