Leavitt Heads Seattle Port's Environment Protection, Development
After an extensive national search, the Port of Seattle has promoted Elizabeth Leavitt to lead its work to protect and enhance the environment. The Senior Director for Environment and Sustainability is a newly created position leading a center of expertise that consolidates environmental, sustainability, and planning functions. Leavitt will report to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and will serve on the CEO’s Executive Leadership Team. “It is impressive that, within the large candidate pool, the Port’s own staff provided excellent people who rose to the top,” said Port COO Dave Soike. Leavitt has worked for the Port for more than 26 years, initially as a senior environmental program manager and, for the past seven years, as the director of aviation planning and environmental programs.
Rough Waters for Washington State Ferries
Improved funding and management changes have the nation’s largest ferry system on a course to better times. Challenges remain, but WSF tackles each one in turn. Unlike the citizens of British Columbia, which pays a German shipyard to build its ferries, Washington state residents resolutely invest at home. By law, ferries are built locally and the results, overall, seem win-win. The state’s Office of Financial Management estimates that every $75 million in ferry construction generates about $90 million for the state’s economy.
