Welcome to the 2024 Spring Meeting


Dear Port Colleagues and Friends:

On behalf of your WPPA Executive Committee, I am excited to extend an invite to our WPPA 2024 Spring Meeting, hosted this year in the breathtaking Columbia River Gorge, at the Skamania Lodge in Steveson, WA, May 15th - 17th.

Bringing our members together is the essence of what we do at WPPA, and the energy and enthusiasm we see in the connections between our ports, our association members, and our invited speakers helps power our work for the rest of the year. Each year, our Spring and Annual conferences convene more than two hundred people to discuss the latest issues facing our ports, and to generally learn from one another. This year’s Spring Meeting embraces the energy of connection, and even discusses issues related to energy! Our engaging agenda includes a great list of speakers and reflects your ideas for what ought to be covered.  Most importantly, Skamania Lodge will be full of port people and the buzz of hallway conversation. Please plan to attend, engage, learn, and connect.  We are excited to see all of our members join together to discuss how we best represent the needs of our port communities.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the Gorge!

JC Baldwin, Commissioner - Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority
2024 WPPA President

Eric ffitch, Executive Director - Washington Public Ports Association

 

2024 SPRING MEETING AGENDA

We will post a PDF of the agenda here in the coming weeks


Tuesday, May 14


Spring Meeting attendees:

2:30 - 3:30 pm - Mini Golf Tournament
We are having an unofficial miniature golf tournament at Skamania Lodge on the Little Eagle 18 putting course! There is no extra fee but you must register to play and we have limited spots. Teams will be assembled by WPPA staff as we get closer to the event. Side bets allowed and a year’s worth of bragging rights on the line!

More details to come!

4:00 - 5:30 pm - Informal Open House Hosted by the Port of Skamania
Stop by the Stevenson Waterfront to chat with Port of Skamania commissioners and staff, have some light appetizers, and network with your peers. This is located at the park next to the Port of Skamania offices. We look forward to seeing you there!


Wednesday, May 15


Concurrent Training Modules from 8:30 to 11:30 am

These modules run simultaneously from 8:30 to 11:30 am and are an additional registration and cost to the Spring Meeting. You can sign up for them on this registration page.

Concurrent Training Module #1: Real Estate (Room Name TBD)

Learn the basics of real estate and the “pitfalls and speed bumps” to avoid.  Hear best practices about how to implement a strategic approach to real estate development and managing your property portfolio.  Attendees will come away with better understanding of how their port can use real estate to improve their port’s bottom line and create economic activity in their communities.

Randy Mueller, Executive Director Port of Ridgefield
Amy Evans Harding, Commissioner, Port of Olympia
Lindsey Senter, Port of Chehalis
Jennifer Wray-Keene, Port of Woodland

Concurrent Training Module #2: Port Powers (Room Name TBD)

Ports are provided with a broad range of powers in Washington State.  Those powers have evolved to meet specific needs since the 1911 Ports Act.  Learn how ports have found new ways to create economic development.  This module will also discuss the roles ports have in promoting development of blighted land.  Attendees will receive a primer on the limits and how to stay within the “guardrails” of their powers. 

Frank Chmelik, CSD
Sara Young, Port of Skagit
Rob Fix, Port of Bellingham
Jim Kuntz, Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority
Chris Herman, WPPA


Spring Meeting program Officially Begins with Luncheon at 12:00 pm


Keynote Speaker: Seth Abelson, Washington Autonomous Vehicle Cluster (WAV-C)

Futureproofing Public Ports: Embracing Technological Advancements


General Session begins at 2:00 pm

2:00 - 2:50 pm - Artificial Intelligence, The Newest Frontier: Unveiling AI's Role in Freight Mobility, Transportation, & Trade
Laura LeMire, Schwabe

3:10 - 4:00 pm - Energy Supply & Solutions
Rick Dunn, Benton Public Utility District
Shannon Idso, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Associate Member Reception from 4:15 - 6:00 pm

Please join us and enjoy some appetizers while networking with our Associate Members. You can use this opportunity to ask for free advice or just simply get to know our Associate Members.

Evening: Dinner on Your Own

Please plan ahead for dining out and make reservations when available. If you are looking for some inspiration or other things to do while in Skamania, check out this great visitors guide!


Thursday, May 16


Rise-n-Shine Walk! Optional walk at 6:00 am with Your Executive Director, Eric ffitch!

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to check out the beautiful scenery around the lodge. Meet in Hotel Lobby at 6:00 am. Waters and juices will be available!


Ports Only Breakfast from 7:30 to 8:30 am

This breakfast is for registered Port Commissioners, Executive Directors, and Port staff only

Committee Meetings from 8:30 to 11:45 am

Committee members - everyone is welcome to attend these committee meetings even if you are not registered for the Spring Meeting. If you intend to stay for lunch or any sessions following the committee meeting, you do need to register as a Spring Meeting attendee. Let Mandy know if you have any questions.

Agenda’s will be posted here as soon as we have them

8:30 – 11:30 am                      Legal

8:45 – 11:30 am                      Joint Trade and Transportation & Economic Development Committees

8:45 – 10:15 am                      Broadband

9:00 – 10:30 am                     Marina

10:00 – 11:30 am                     Environmental (joint environmental policy committee & technical committee meeting)

10:30 – 11:45 am                    Aviation

Communications Committee members: There is no committee meeting at the Spring Meeting. Please use this time to attend other committee meetings and bring back information on how we can assist those committees. We will meet shortly after the Spring Meeting to discuss what you found (invitation coming soon).


Luncheon at 12:00 pm


Keynote Speakers: Representative J.T. Wilcox, former House Republican Leader And, Representative Frank Chopp, former Speaker of the House

Bipartisan Retrospective on Leadership in Olympia


general session begins at 1:30

1:30 - 2:30 pm - Report on the 2024 Legislative Session

Mark Wilson, Executive Director, Port of Kalama, and Legislative Committee Chair presiding
Eric ffitch, Executive Director, WPPA
Chris Herman, Deputy Director, WPPA
Carly Michiels, Senior Director of Environmental Policy, WPPA
James Cockburn, Government Relations Manager, WPPA

2:45 - 4:15 pm - Port Reports

Port of Port Angeles
Port of Pasco
Port of Skamania
Eric ffitch will wrap up this session and share information regarding our Round Table format

4:30 - 5:30 pm - Roundtable Discussions
Please take part in our ever evolving Roundtable discussions! Anyone that attends a Roundtable (up to two) will receive a raffle ticket(s) for a drawing to win WPPA logo wear that you get to pick out!

  1. Foreign Trade Zone
    John Michener, Port of Bellingham

  2. Legal Considerations for Managing Personal & Port Social Media Accounts
    Frank Chmelik & Tim Schermetzler, Attorney, CSD Attorneys at Law

  3. Industrial Symbiosis
    Rhys Roth, Center for Sustainable Infrastructure & Randy Hayden, Port of Pasco

  4. Five Great Ways to Share Your Ports History
    Rod Koon, Retired Port of Tacoma & Life Member

  5. Innovation Clusters and Economic Development
    Jason Hartmann, Mid-Columbia Economic Development District & Gorge Tech Alliance

  6. Checking in on WPPA’s 2024 Strategic Planning Process
    Jim Darling, Leeward Strategies & Eric ffitch, WPPA


President’s Reception at 6:00 pm

Please join us as we celebrate our 2024 Association President, JC Baldwin. This is a great time to network with your peers, and bring your appetite! Spouses are invited and encouraged to attend this event.


Friday, may 17


Awards Breakfast at 8:00 am

Please join us for breakfast and our Spring Meeting awards ceremony

  • Spring Scholarship Award

  • Compass Awards

  • Community Outreach Award

  • Creative Partnership Award

  • Outstanding Job Creator Award

  • Environmental Stewardship Award

Board of Trustees Meeting - immediately following awards breakfast

Meeting adjourns by 12:00 pm


WPPA 2024 Spring Meeting Registration

 

Skamania Lodge Firepit

 

Spring Meeting 2024 Sponsors

We could not put on this event without the help of our sponsors. We appreciate their willingness to participate year after year. If you see them at the meeting, please tell them thank you!

We still have Sponsorship options available for the upcoming 2024 Spring Meeting. They start at $500! Your logo will be on this page along with various other publications and verbal recognition throughout the event.
Please email Mandy Lill or call 360.878.6299 for more information!

 

Welcome & Registration Sponsor

 

Providing a full range of legal services for Washington’s public ports, including construction, public records and open meetings, employment and labor relations, environmental, land use, real estate, municipal government and public finance law, insurance coverage and litigation.

 
 

 

Wednesday Keynote Speaker sponsor

Is an integrated consulting firm offering award-winning services in environmental and civil engineering, site planning and development, communications and outreach, environmental assessment and cleanup, strategic planning, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), health and safety services, and landscape architecture. MFA has decades of experience assisting Washington ports with their unique commercial, environmental, statutory, and community priorities.

 

 

Wednesday Lunch sponsors

 

Environmental consultants specializing in sediment, soil and groundwater remediation, dredging, coastal and shoreline engineering, construction management, environmental monitoring and stormwater management.

 

Schwabe provides comprehensive legal services for Washington ports of all sizes. We assist ports in addressing environmental concerns, property acquisition, leasing and development, rail and maritime agreements, public meeting law compliance, general counsel services, and regional navigation issues. Drawing on Schwabe’s vast collective experience and contacts, we help our clients stay apprised of and prepared for industry developments and trends.

 
 

 

Thursday “Ports Executive” Breakfast Sponsor

 

The lawyers in the firm’s Port Practice Group assist port districts – large and small - achieve successful outcomes for their communities by utilizing our specialized expertise and years of experience in the law unique to ports, including governance, leasing, land use permitting, labor and employment, environmental, litigation, construction and insurance defense. From Bellingham, with state-of-the-art video conferencing and computer technology, we provide very cost effective general counsel and special counsel representation to port districts all over Washington.

 
 

 

Thursday Luncheon Sponsors

 

Civil and structural engineering, planning and permitting, and surveying services for various port facilities, including waterfront, airport, building, and transportation facilities.

 

Law and policy firm specializing in energy, environment, land use, real estate, and government relations matters.

 
 

 

Thursday Keynote Speaker Sponsor

 

Rail Shipping

 
 

 

Thursday Presidents Reception Sponsors

There is still one sponsorship spot available at the Presidents Reception!

 

Provides environmental engineering and site management, permitting and compliance services, and geotechnical engineering. For 40 years we have assisted ports and their tenants with meeting regulatory compliance challenges and development goals at seaport, airport, industrial, and commercial properties; offices in Edmonds, Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, and Spokane, Washington, and Portland, Oregon.

Is an integrated consulting firm offering award-winning services in environmental and civil engineering, site planning and development, communications and outreach, environmental assessment and cleanup, strategic planning, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), health and safety services, and landscape architecture. MFA has decades of experience assisting Washington ports with their unique commercial, environmental, statutory, and community priorities.

 

Attorneys, bond counsel, environmental counseling, permitting and litigation; complex facility siting, construction and permitting; toxic tort exposure defense; insurance coverage counseling and litigation on behalf of policy holders; eminent domain; real estate; federal policy and Indian law.

 
 

 

program printing sponsor

Comprehensive professional services in planning, engineering, environmental, surveying, public involvement, and construction engineering for airports, surface transportation systems, industrial siting, infrastructure, water resources, wastewater pollution control, GIS master planning, application development, system design and implementation, and eGovernment consulting.

 

 

Guest Participation Sponsorship

 

Engineering analysis, design, and construction support services for urban waterfront, marina, port, coastal, water resources, rail, roadway, intermodal, and bridge infrastructure; shoreline and marine terminal planning; NEPA/SEPA documentation, permitting, and mitigation; freight and economic studies and forecasting; above-water and underwater inspection and repair design of marine and bridge infrastructure.

 
 

 

Media & Technology Sponsorship

 

There is still time to sponsor our media and technology! Email Mandy for more information!

 

 

General Session Refreshments

 

Anderson Hunter Law Firm serves as general counsel for large and small port districts. In addition to serving the general municipal needs of ports, we offer the following specialties: real estate, employment, business, and litigation. Clients choose us for our variety of expertise and our common sense and economical approach to legal issues.

 

Specializing in marine and civil engineering planning, permitting, design, and construction administration for public port facilities since 1979. Includes floats, docks, piers, dolphins, bulkheads, fendering systems, and wave barriers at marinas, marine terminals, and cruise ship facilities, as well as upland facilities such as boatyards, pedestrian esplanades, access roads, and waterfront parks.

 
 

Enduris is a member-owned, local government risk-sharing pool that has provided specialized property and liability coverage for over 30 years. We provide coverage and loss control solutions to over 500 Washington State special purpose districts, including over 50 of Washington’s port districts.

 

 

ASSOCIATE MEMBER RECEPTION EATS & DRINKS SPONSORSHIP

 

For over 70 years, clients have trusted Gibbs & Olson for their civil engineering and land surveying needs. As you work to make your community a better place, we can partner with you to help plan, fund, design and implement your water, wastewater, stormwater, and transportation projects.

 

AWC represents Washington’s cities and towns before the state legislature, the state executive branch and with regulatory agencies, and offers a wide array of services.

 
 

Enduris is a member-owned, local government risk-sharing pool that has provided specialized property and liability coverage for over 30 years. We provide coverage and loss control solutions to over 500 Washington State special purpose districts, including over 50 of Washington’s port districts.

 

Serving Northwest public and private clients, including public ports. U.S. News and World Report and Best Lawyers list Pacifica as a Tier 1 law firm in the Seattle region for public finance law, appellate law, education law, municipal law, and real estate law. Many of our attorneys are recognized as “Best Lawyers in America” and as “Super Lawyers.” We also have deeply held professional and personal commitments to civic responsibility, community volunteerism and industry participation, reflected in our leadership and/or pro bono service to numerous organizations, associations, boards and committees.

 
 

WE HAVE SPONSORSHIP OPTIONS AT THE 2024 SPRING MEETING STARTING AT $500! WE WILL ADD YOUR LOGO TO THIS PAGE ALONG WITH VARIOUS OTHER PUBLICATIONS AND VERBAL RECOGNITION THROUGHOUT THE EVENT.
PLEASE EMAIL MANDY LILL OR CALL HER AT 360.943.0760 IF YOU ARE INTERESTED!


 
 

WPPA 2024 Spring Meeting FAQ’s

Will I receive a confirmation of my registration?
Confirmation of on-line registrations will be sent via email within 48 hours.  If you do not receive a confirmation within 2 days, please do not hesitate to contact Mandy via email: mlill@washingtonports.org or via phone 360.943.0760.

What is the dress code?
Dress for the Spring Meeting is business casual. Some people will wear cocktail attire to the Thursday evening President’s Reception.

Hotel Information
Sleeping room rates at Skamania Lodge are $219 per night plus applicable taxes. There is also a daily resort fee of $30.00 that is “separate and distinct from the room rate and from taxes”. The hotel has a 7 day cancellation policy for our event.

Method of Reservations
Reservations must be made by Saturday, April 13th to assure the contracted group rate.  
Once our contracted block of rooms have all been reserved, our block is "sold out". However, you can still rent a room at the standard rates as long as the hotel has rooms available.  (Please note:  the block may sell out any time prior to our cut-off date.).

Spring Meeting attendees will make their own reservations with Skamania Lodge by calling 844.432.4748, choose option #1. Be sure to specify our group code #: 1YQ5GD. You can also make your reservations online by clicking on this link: WPPA 2024 Spring Meeting Room Reservations.

All reservations must be accompanied by a first night room deposit plus taxes and the daily resort fee. Check-in time is 4:00 p.m. and check-out time is 11:00 am.  Cancellations must be received 7 days prior to arrival to avoid charges.

Parking
There is no charge for parking at Skamania Lodge.

I am flying in for this event, what are my transportation options?

The hotel has provided us with a list of preferred transportation providers. Click here to view them. Please note, while getting from the airport to Skamania Lodge via Uber and Lyft is readily accessible, getting from Skamania Lodge to the airport should be arranged in advance as they operate in a very limited capacity.

Pets
Skamania Lodge is dog friendly. You must request a Pet Room when making your lodging reservation. There is a non-refundable pet fee of $75 plus tax for the duration of the stay. Additional charges may apply for any damage or inconvenience caused to neighbors.

Is there a registration deadline?
The seminar registration deadline is Monday, May 6th.

What are the registration fees?
Please refer to the registration link.

What does my registration fee include?
The Spring Meeting registration fee includes everything listed on the Spring Meeting agenda. There is a separate registration fee for the Training Modules.

Do I need to register my guest and is there a charge for them to attend?
There is no separate fee for a spouse/guest to attend. Your guest is invited and encouraged to attend the Associate Member Reception on Wednesday night and the President’s Reception on Thursday evening. We do ask that you register your guest in advance so that we are sure to have the proper head count for food at our reception events. Please be sure to include their full name on the registration form when registering for this event.

I have food allergies/I’m vegetarian.  How do I let you know this?
There is a comment section on the registration form where you can note this information.  ALL special food/meal requests must be ordered in advance of the meeting. If you have troubles with the form, questions, or forget to add that when you register, please contact Mandy via email: mlill@washingtonports.org or via phone 360.943.0760 and she will be happy to help.

What if I have to cancel?
A $100 administration fee will be charged for cancellations received after May 6th, and for registrants failing to show.

Associate Member FAQ’s

Associate Member Reception - Wednesday, May 15, 2024 - 4:15 to 6:00 p.m.
Associate Members, you are vital to Washington Ports, and your participation is strongly encouraged! This is an excellent venue for establishing and strengthening important relationships within our port community.

Our Associate Member Reception is a popular event that we host at the Spring and Annual meetings. We want to give the opportunity to casually mingle with port commissioners, port staff, and other associate members at the start of the conference. The reception is on Wednesday, May 15th from 4:15 to 6:00 pm, immediately following our general session. There will be a hosted bar with beer, wine, and light hors d’oeuvres. This is not meant to be dinner.

As an associate member; you have the opportunity to reserve a table for your booth to show our attendees what your business has to offer. This is the perfect occasion to showcase your business! There are a limited number of tables (20 maximum), and you must reserve them in advance of the meeting so be sure to contact Mandy Lill at WPPA right away to reserve! Please let Mandy know if you have any questions or need more information. You can reach her at mlill@washingtonports.org or via phone 360.943.0760.

Associate Member Reception details:
What: Associate Member Reception
When: Wednesday, May 15th, 2024
Time: 4:15 to 6:00 p.m. (you can access the reception space at 3:00 pm to set up your table)
Where: Skamania Lodge, Stevenson - ROOM ANNOUNCED CLOSER TO EVENT
Set-Up: 6’ skirted tables will be set up around the perimeter of the room. You choose the table you want at the event and they are first-come, first-serve.
Cost: $250 per table, this does not include any registration fees for the people staffing your booth. They must be a registered attendee (there is a Wednesday only option).
How Many: There are a limited number of tables available - only 20, so reserve yours now!
Contact Info: Mandy Lill: mlill@washingtonports.org or 360.943.0760.
NO walk-ins will be accommodated, you must reserve in advance.

I am interested in sponsoring your event. How do I do that?

Thanks for asking! There are many opportunities for sponsorship at our events. Please contact Mandy Lill to find out what is available at our 2024 Spring Meeting: mlill@washingtonports.org or 360.943.0760.