Port of Olympia’s new executive director starts Monday. Here are her views going into the job
Alexandra Smith is the new executive director of the Port of Olympia and her tenure guiding an organization with a marine terminal, marina properties, a real estate division and Olympia Regional Airport begins Monday.
Smith, 61, used to work for the port as its environmental programs director before she departed in 2016. Prior to being named executive director, Smith worked for the state Department of Natural Resources as its deputy supervisor for forest resilience, regulation and aquatic resources.
Smith was born and raised in San Francisco. She earned an undergraduate degree at Brown University in Rhode Island and a law degree at the University of Washington.
Smith has worked in both the private sector, practicing environmental law, as well as the public sector, making stops at the state Attorney General’s Office, Port of Seattle and later DNR. She also worked as a nuclear waste program manager at Hanford in the Tri Cities for four years.
Smith met with The Olympian last week to answer some questions about her new job. But before she did, she dropped in at a port staff meeting.
“They have been through a lot of change and I wanted them to know that I’m not into change for the sake of change,” she said about the meeting. “If there needs to be change, we do change with them, not to them.”
Question: What went through your mind before you applied for this job?
Answer: Back when I worked for the port, I felt it could be such a bigger asset than it was, and it felt like there was more the port could do in terms of engaging with other jurisdictions and the community. So a seed was planted in my brain, and when (former executive director) Ed Galligan left, I applied for the job but did not get an interview because the commission at that time wanted someone with direct executive director experience. But when it came up this time, I definitely wanted to apply and it all worked out. I have to admit I was a little surprised after my prior experience, but pleasantly so.
Q: What’s your first order of business as executive director?
A: Meeting the staff and getting to know the staff.
Q: Why is it so important to begin there?
A: They really are the backbone of the port and they do the hard work at the port. My priority is to support them. I really want it to be a working environment that is fun for them, not one that they dread, but one that is fun and supportive. I want them to feel free to weigh in on what they think the port is doing right, needs to do differently, or to do more of or less of. I want to make sure I anchor myself in the staff and what they’re doing.
Q: At the public reception for executive director finalists, what kinds of questions were you asked?
A: A lot of it was: Why do you want this job? And then there were some who had questions about Budd Inlet, and some who have watched the port environmentally for a long time and had questions about things that happened when I was there like with the stormwater treatment plant. I tried to answer those questions as best I could and some of those constituents want more time to ask questions, so we‘re going to have a town hall meeting at 5:30 p.m. March 27. People can ask whatever they want.
Q: The port has a new union that is still negotiating its first contract. What’s your assessment of the situation and how would you like to address it?
A: It’s very clear there is frustration on both sides because of the pace of negotiations. What I would love to do is meet with the union without any other port staff and say, ‘I’m here to listen and want to engage in good faith negotiations and do right by you guys and get the contract done soon.’ They also have a schedule for mediated sessions, so I want to respect the process our port staff and union have been going through so far. But I definitely want to lean in and be helpful and add value to the extent I can.
