Washington Public Ports Assoc. Hires Slate of New Officers

BELLEVUE, WA-Port of Vancouver Commissioner Robert J. Moser was recently elected president of the Washington Public Ports Association at the WPPA Annual Meeting in Bellevue. Moser will now serve on the six-member executive committee and lead the 70-organization’s membership for 2002.

Moser is joined on the association¹s executive board with: Judy DeVaul, commissioner with the Port of Chelan, vice president; John Mohr, Port of Everett executive director, treasurer; and Bob Edwards, Port of Seattle commissioner, as secretary. Bob Sokol, Port of Port Townsend commissioner, immediate association past president and John Love, Port of Whitman County commissioner, past president are also on the association¹s executive board.This is the second time since 1937 a Port of Vancouver commissioner has been elected to this prestigious position. The previous WPPA president from Vancouver was Otto Neth, president of Columbia Machine Inc., who served in 1974 to 1975.

Moser is also president of the Vancouver Port’s Board of Commissioners for 2002, and has been on the commission since 1987. The port has a three-member Board of Commissioners that set policy, direction, and approve all major expenditures. The board’s responsibilities include appointing major administrative staff, including the port executive director, the port auditor, and the port attorney.

The WPPA, in its 40th year, represents 76 public port districts throughout the state of Washington and serves as the hub through which ports work cooperatively to share information and address issues on trade, transportation, and the environment.

Pat Jones, association executive director, said Moser is a good choice for the association. “Bob Moser understands the wide variety of issues facing port districts statewide,” said Jones. “He is a proponent of creating jobs while protecting the environment and will be able to communicate those issues in a plain-spoken fashion that can reach legislators, business people and the general public.”