Event registration and agenda information can be found here on our website.
Check out the FAQ page for hotel reservation information
Please email Mandy Lill or Tasha Cilurso with any questions and for sponsorship inquiries.
Welcome to the 2021 Finance Seminar- we are so excited to be hosting our finance community at the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue this year. Please read carefully through the agenda, after which you’ll find the registration button. You will be billed after the event. Partial registrations are not available; you are welcome to join the rest of the Annual Meeting for the same cost.
This year’s registration costs are: $490/WPPA member $525/non-member $50/WPPA member guest
Interested in sponsoring our event? Sponsorships are a flat $500 this year. Contact Business Manager Tasha Cilurso at tcilurso@washingtonports.org if you’d like to sponsor the event.
7:00: Registration Desk Opens
7:30 – 8:15: Plated Breakfast (separate room than education) Maple Room (3rd Floor)
8:15 – 8:30: Transition to education room
8:30: Welcome and Announcements: Scott Goodrich WPPA Finance and Administration Committee Chair/Director of Finance and Accounting, Port of Vancouver Auditorium (3rd Floor)
8:30 – 10:15: SAO Updates and Upcoming GASB Standards: Deena Garza and Olivia Crouch, Office of Washington State Auditor Auditorium (3rd Floor)
10:15 – 10:30: Break and transition to different room for TIF training
10:30 – 11:30: Tax Increment Financing: Bob Stowe, Stowe Development & Strategies and Alice Ostdiek, Strading, Yocca & Carlson Evergreen E (Lobby Level)
11:30 – 12:00: Establishing a TIF district: Randy Hayden, Port of Pasco Evergreen E (Lobby Level)
12:00 – 1:30: Luncheon with Annual Meeting attendees / Kick off to WPPA Annual Meeting with Keynote Presentation by Matthew Gardner, Windermere Real Estate: A Real Estate Economist’s View on the Future of Housing Regency Ballroom (2nd Floor)
1:45 - 2:00pm Break
2:00 – 2:45 pm (Optional) Port Perspectives on Workforce Housing: A Discussion on Legal Authority and Responding to Community Needs Regency Ballroom (2nd Floor)
2:45 - 3:00 pm Break
3:00 - 3:45 pm (Optional) Looking at the Practical Implications of the New Equity Legislation for Your Port Regency Ballroom (2nd Floor)
4:00 – 5:30: (Optional): Annual Associate Member Reception Evergreen ABCD (Lobby Level)
5:30 – 7:00: Seminar Dinner Buffet / Reception Cedar Ballroom (2nd Floor)
7:30 – 8:15 am: Plated Breakfast Maple Room (3rd Floor)
8:15 – 8:30: Transition to education room
8:30 – 9:15: Insurance Market Update: Anne Shackleford, and Deborah Bovee, Alliant Insurance Services, Inc. Auditorium (3rd Floor)
9:15 – 9:45: Community Sourced Funding: Alan Crain and Richard Martinez, Kitsap Bank Auditorium (3rd Floor)
9:45 – 10:00: Break
10:00 – 11:30: Leading Change & Operational Stability During a Sustained Pandemic: Rudy Caluza, Port of Seattle, and Scott Goodrich, Port of Vancouver Auditorium (3rd Floor)
11:30 – 11:45: Seminar wrap up, evaluation forms, drawings
12:00 – 4:30: Optional: Annual Meeting Education: Port Reports and Roundtables
6:00: Optional: Annual Meeting Reception
Here is our working agenda for the Small Ports Seminar. This agenda is subject to change up to the event. We are currently working on finalizing speakers and session titles, so please check back frequently.
SEPARATE REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR OPTIONAL SESSION (Fee: $50 for Optional training and Lunch)
9:00-11:45am Optional training session featuring Enduris and Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt: Personnel law and insurance- how COVID-19 has altered workforce, personnel and insurance issues
This session is designed to bring together staff from small ports who may not have the resources to seek advice regarding the dramatically changing landscape of personnel law and insurance during COVID-19. Learn from legal and insurance experts who will be providing training participants with a full understanding of things as they are now, and what to do to ensure your port is well covered.
12:00 - 12:45pm Lunch (included with optional training session only)
1:00-1:10pm Opening remarks
1:10-2:00pm The Infrastructure Assistance Coordinating Council an your Port’s Project Portfolio with Port of Woodland Executive Director Jennifer Wray-Keene & Mark Barkley, Assistant Director, Local Government Division, Washington Department of Commerce
2:00-2:15pm Break & transition to Alpine room
2:15-3:05pm MRSC and SAO: Tools for Ports with Tracy Burrows, Executive Director, MRSC and Sherrie Ard, Center for Government Innovation, Office of the Washington State Auditor
3:10-4:00pm- Guerilla Websites with Jessica Wilson, Director of Communications for the Washington Public Ports Assocation
4:30-5:30pm Meet our Associate Members
5:30-7:00pm Associate Member Reception / Social
7:00-8:30am Breakfast
8:30-9:20am ABCs of Debt with Mike Folkers, Finance Director of the Port of Grays Harbor
9:30-10:20am Achieving Equilibrium: Commissioners and Management with Frank Chmelik, Peter Ruffatto, of Chmelik, Sitkin & Davis, Jay Hester of the Port of Sunnyside, and Pete Hanke of the Port of Port Townsend
10:30-11:30am Ask the Experts: a fun & interactive exercise with all of our speakers
11:30am Prizes & adjourn
The cost for registration for the regular Small Ports Seminar is $50/each for WPPA members/port staff; $100/each for Associate Members and $150/each for non-members.
The cost for registration for the OPTIONAL Training Session is an additional $50/each for WPPA members/port staff; $100/each for Associate Members and $150/each for non-members.
The above agenda is subject to change- please check back for updates as we near the event.
Small Ports Seminar FAQ:
Hotel Information: A block of rooms has been reserved at the Enzian Inn and Linderhof Inn (next door) for this event. A variety of room types are available ranging from $126.59/night to $261.59/night plus a Resort Fee and tax; single and double occupancy rates differ.
The cut-off date for room reservations is Monday, September 20, 2021. Please make your room reservations ASAP in order to take advantage of the special group rate; our block may sell out prior to the reservation cut-off date.
Reservations can be made by calling (800) 223-8511 or www.enzianinn.com, reference the Washington Public Ports Association Small Ports Seminar group (Group Code 10563). A credit card is needed to secure your reservation.
Check-In is 4:00pm; Check-Out is 11:00 am.
Cancellations must be made 14 days prior to your arrival date to avoid being charged for one night’s stay plus tax. A “no-show” is charged to the individual for their first night’s room and tax.
Early departures are subject to a $50 charge if check-out date is not noted 24 hours prior to actual departure.
Can I bring a guest and what portion of the event can they attend?
Yes you can bring a guest! Guests are invited and encouraged to attend the Thursday evening reception and there is no additional fee.
Do I need to register my guest?
Yes, please register your guest. There is a place on the on-line registration form to register them. This helps us ensure that food and set-up preparations are correct.
If you have dietary restrictions, please note this in the appropriate area on the on-line registration form so accommodations can be made.
Do we receive Legal or Educational Credits for this seminar? Attendees can obtain a “Certificate of Attendance” document at the seminar to self-report attendance.
Is there a Registration Deadline? The WPPA Small Ports Seminar registration deadline is October 15, 2021.
What if I have to cancel? A $75 administration fee will be charged for cancellations received after October 15 and for registrants who fail to show.
Questions? Contact Missy Goodell at (360) 943-0760 or mgoodell@washingtonports.org.
August 23, 2021 COVID-19 Update:
As we look ahead to the upcoming Environmental Seminar, communication about how WPPA and the Alderbrook Resort will deliver this event seems especially important. We hold the health and safety of our meeting attendees in the highest regard, and will continue to monitor health and safety requirements. Consistent with Governor Inslee’s order, COVID-19 safety protocols currently include:
Maintaining appropriate distance between attendees
Wearing a mask is required in all indoor settings except while are eating/drinking
Click here to read more about actions the Alderbrook Resort is taking to reduce risk.
WPPA continues to monitor all CDC, state and local COVID protocols and we will ensure the required precautions are in place to keep you and your staff safe and healthy.
7:00 am Breakfast and Registration
8:15 am Welcome
8:30 am Your Port and Industrial Symbiosis: what are the opportunities? – Ted Sturdevant, Center for Sustainable Infrastructure
In 2021, Senate Bill 5345 was enacted. The new law provides a framework to pursue a new approach to economic development, Industrial Symbiosis (IS), designed to address multiple challenges while maximizing local economic opportunities. IS results from resource-sharing agreements between companies: one company’s waste or underutilized resource becomes a valuable input for another company. First developed in Denmark, IS has a strong record of added economic value and reductions in water use and climate emissions.
9:45 am Break
10:00 am Washington’s Toxics Cleanup Program: Looking Ahead – Brock Milliern, TCP Program Manager, Department of Ecology
Mr. Milliern will share his perspective as the new leader of state’s cleanup program.
12:00 pm Lunch
1:30 pm Stormwater Management and Treatment: Piloting and Sharing Technical and
Operational Innovations – Jane Dewell, Port of Seattle
To achieve stormwater treatment and green infrastructure targets, municipal and industrial managers must continually review new technical and operational innovations and select those suitable to pilot or adopt at their facilities. This task is compounded by emerging challenges of climate change, rising operational costs, and revenue uncertainties. The Port of Seattle will share research conducted involving other ports in North America and Europe, comprehensive compilation of existing stormwater treatment methodologies, and results of existing Port treatment innovations including monitoring data and operations and management requirements.
2:45 pm Break
3:00 pm Show Me Something Cool
Ports from around Washington share their environmental stories through three-minute video and multimedia presentations to their assembled colleagues. Past presentations have been diverse, creative, and motivational. Bring your story to share with the group, and prepare to be inspired.
6:00 pm Dinner and Reception
7:30 am Breakfast
8:30 am Environmental Justice
How will Ports be affected by environmental justice requirements, and what can they do now to prepare? The presentation will provide an overview of newly-adopted federal (Executive Order Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad) and state (HEAL Act) environmental justice rules and regulations, and provide a case study of a Washington port that has elected to incorporate environmental justice into its MTCA remedy selection process before it is required.
9:30 am Break
9:45 am Offshore Wind Development: Implications for Ports
Developing electric power generated by offshore wind on the United States west coast is a key component of the goal to repower the national electrical grid using renewable energy sources. Offshore wind electric power (OWE) is proposed on the U.S. west, east, and Gulf coasts, and the Great Lakes. The presentation will consider US east coast and European port case studies, and include a discussion of strategic, regulatory, and site-specific considerations for Ports interested in directly or indirectly serving the OWE market.
11:30 am Wrap Up and Adjourn
Registration cost for the 2021 Environmental Seminar is $380 per registrant for Members and $405 for Non-Members. The button below will open up an email form to Member Services Manager Missy Goodell. Missy will automatically receive your registration once you hit "send” on your email, and reply directly to the email address you sent your registration from. Have issues opening the email or registering? Please contact Missy directly and she will assist you: mgoodell@washingtonports.org or 360-481-8493.
Environmental Seminar FAQ:
Hotel Information: A block of rooms has been reserved at Alderbrook Resort for this event. Our special group rate is $199/night for a variety of room types, plus a Resort Fee of $15 per room per night, plus applicable taxes (10.5%).
The cut-off date for room reservations is Monday, August 23, 2021. Please make your room reservations ASAP in order to take advantage of the special group rate; our block may sell out prior to the reservation cut-off date.
Reservations can be made by calling (360) 898-2200 or reservations@alderbrookresort.com, reference the Washington Public Ports Association Environmental Seminar group (there is no group code). A credit card is needed to secure your reservation.
Check-In is 4:00pm; Check-Out is 11:00 am.
Cancellations must be made 7 days prior to your arrival date to avoid being charged for one night’s stay plus tax. A “no-show” is charged to the individual for their first night’s room and tax.
Early departures are subject to a $50 charge if check-out date is not noted 24 hours prior to actual departure.
Can I bring a guest and what portion of the event can they attend?
Yes you can bring a guest! Guests are invited and encouraged to attend the Thursday evening reception and there is no additional fee. The breakfasts and lunch during the meeting are for the registered attendees only, not guests.
Do I need to register my guest?
Yes, please register your guest. There is a place on the on-line registration form to register them. This helps us ensure that food and set-up preparations are correct.
If you have dietary restrictions, please note this in the appropriate area on the on-line registration form so accommodations can be made.
Do we receive Legal or Educational Credits for this seminar? Credits will be applied for.
Is there a Registration Deadline? The WPPA Environmental Seminar registration deadline is September 17, 2021.
What if I have to cancel? A $75 administration fee will be charged for cancellations received after September 17 and for registrants who fail to show.
Can’t find lodging? Click here for a list of off-site lodging options near Alderbrook Resort.
Questions? Contact Missy Goodell at (360) 943-0760 or mgoodell@washingtonports.org.
Welcome to the 2021 Commissioners’ Seminar from WPPA, a program designed to bring the best education and information to port commissioners in Washington to make ports effective in their communities. This year, we are focusing on the nexus between commissioners and state legislators, and how commissioners can reach out to legislators for maximum effectiveness.
We have the agenda below, and the registration button at the bottom. The cost is $85 for the seminar, and will be billed to your port after the event.
After you register, an email confirmation is immediately sent to the registration email address provided. If you require confirmation of the registration, please take a screen shot of the confirmation page post-registration and save it to your computer files.
July 20, 2021
11:00am- Commissioners’ Seminar Tuesday Roundtable: How to talk so your legislators will listen, a conversation with three legislators on the most effective ways to reach out with your ports’ message Senator Ann Rivers and Representative Steve Kirby
11:45am- Break
12:00pm- State carbon policy: exploring new resources for ports with Victoria Lincoln, Deputy Director; Gerry O’Keefe, Senior Director of Environmental Affairs; and Chris Herman, Senior Director of Trade and Transportation
1:00pm- Direction, changes and the future of the Port of Portland Executive Director of the Port of Portland, Curtis Robinhold
July 21, 2021
1:00pm- Cybersecurity for ports: What do commissioners need to know about risk, exposure, and their ports’ vital functions? Michael K. Hamilton, Chief Information Security Officer, Critical Insight Security and Joe Davis, Director of Risk Management and Member Relations, Enduris
1:45pm Break
3:00pm- Funding our state’s critical transportation infrastructure keynote address with Senator Steve Hobbs
3:45pm- Adjourn
Wednesday July 7th
8:00 am Breakfast
9:15 am Two-Minute Drill – How has your port changed in the last year? Are these changes lasting?
10:30 am Break
10:45 am Community relationships- What is your relationship to your local governments? How does the community view your work?
11:30 am How do you on-board a new commissioner? New WPPA resources with Abbi Russell of Maul Foster Alongi
12:00 pm Lunch
1:15 pm Jennifer Bouman-Steagall, Human Resources Lawyer and CEO & Founder of Red Kite Rising— “Riding the Rollercoaster of Change”
2:15 pm Break
2:30 pm Return for “Riding the Rollercoaster of Change”
3:00 pm Adjourn
3:30 pm Cruise- Lady Alderbrook at the Alderbrook Marina
5:30 pm Reception and dinner
Thursday July 8
8:00 am Breakfast
9:00 am Rick Desimone, federal lobbyist discusses changes in the federal landscape
9:30 am Discussion: How do ports engage in federal lobbying efforts?
10:00 am Break
10:15 am How has the emphasis on the ‘equity lens’ changed work at your port?
11:00am Adjourn
Zoom-only registration for this event is $85. You can register for Zoom below; please note that this option is for those people who will not be able to attend at Alderbrook.
Lodging at Alderbrook: Reservations: 360-898-2200; ask for the Washington Public Ports Association Directors’ Seminar Room Block. Reservations must be made by June 21, 2021 for block rates.
Director Seminar room block includes 13 King rooms, and 7 double Queen rooms; both room types are $209 per night, plus $15 Resort Fee per room per night plus state, local and Occupancy Tax (10.5%). Lodging must be cancelled 7 days prior to scheduled arrival; a no-show will be charged for the first nights’ stay of room, fee, and taxes. Check-in is 4:00 pm; Check-out is 11:00 am. Early departures are subject to a $50 charge if not noted 24 ours prior to actual departure.
Questions or concerns? Please contact Member Services Manager Missy Goodell at mgoodell@washingtonports.org or 360-481-8493.
