The Northwest Seaport Alliance is a marine cargo operating partnership between the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma.  It is overseen by a board of Managing Members - comprised of the elected commissioners from the north and south harbors.

Each year the presidents from the Port of Seattle and Tacoma commissions are selected as its Co-Chairs.

On February 2nd, at its first meeting of 2021, the Managing Members welcomed Port of Tacoma president, Dick Marzano and Port of Seattle Commission president, Fred Felleman as their Co-Chairs.

Commissioner Marzano recently retired after 52 years as Tacoma longshore worker, serving as president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 23 for six years.  First elected to the commission in November 1995, he has served the community in many roles, including being a member of Puget Sound Regional Council’s Executive Board and past president of the Washington Public Ports Association Board of Trustees.

“I appreciate the opportunity to serve as Co-Chair of The Northwest Seaport Alliance,” said Dick Marzano, NWSA Co-Chair. “As our nation recovers from the global pandemic, our gateway plays a critical role as an economic driver for our region. Working with my fellow commissioners, we will remain focused on growing family wage job by expanding services to our customers and increasing capacity through infrastructure development while supporting our local communities.”

Commissioner Felleman has been a leader in the advancement of marine conservation and maritime safety in the Pacific Northwest for over three decades.  Prior to being elected to the Seattle Port Commission in 2015, Fred worked closely with the Port to further its standing as a competitive green gateway as it became a cruise ship homeport in 2000.  He serves on the Board of Maritime Blue and the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Executive Board.  Fred is the Port of Seattle Commission’s tribal liaison and was the founding Chair of the Port’s Energy and Sustainability Committee. 

“Having been part of the Managing Members since the formation of the Alliance, I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve as Co-Chair,” said Commissioner Felleman.  “I’m committed to maximizing the public benefits of the Alliance by advancing innovation and collaboration to enable it to manage its impacts on the community and environment as it grows the economy.  The Alliance is strategically positioned to help create sustainable jobs of the future and provide opportunities for businesses to meet their goals as they increasingly seek cost-effective ways to reduce their carbon footprint.”

Commissioner Felleman succeeds former Port of Seattle Commission President Peter Steinbruck, and Commissioner Marzano succeeds former Port of Tacoma Commission President John McCarthy.

 

The Northwest Seaport Alliance is the fourth-largest container gateway in the United States and also manages breakbulk, auto and bulk terminals in Seattle and Tacoma.  In 2020 the Alliance handled over 3 million TEUs (containers) and over 36 million tons of other cargo.

With the expansion of Terminal 5 in West Seattle and new Husky Terminal Cranes at the Port of Tacoma, the NWSA is poised to increase cargo volumes through the gateway.  NWSA’s critical partnerships with businesses, labor, and community members, along with strategic infrastructure investment, will secure the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma as a premier international marine cargo gateway for years to come.