Port of Vancouver, Wash. names Marler permanent CEO

The Pacific Northwest port has elected interim Chief Executive Officer Julianna Marler, who has held the post since May 2016 following the resignation of then-CEO Todd Coleman, to the permanent position of CEO and executive director.    The Port of Vancouver, Wash. has elected Julianna Marler to the permanent position of chief executive officer and executive director.
   Marler has held the post on an interim basis since the resignation of then-CEO Todd Coleman in May 2016. Following a full candidate search, she beat out Edward Galligan, current executive director of the Port of Olympia, and Arthur Scheunemann, former president and CEO of the Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County, for the job.
   Port Director of Human Resources Jonathan Eder will negotiate the terms of Marler’s permanent employment contract, including salary, benefits and a start date, which will then be subject to approval by the port’s board of commissioners. The port said it expects to present this as an action item at the next regularly scheduled board of commissioners meeting on Feb. 14.
   “We had three highly qualified candidates, and that made this a hard decision,” commission President Brian Wolfe said in a statement. “I believe Julianna is best suited to take us forward and realize the vision this port has for connecting with the community and bringing economic benefit to our region.”
   “This was a rigorous process,” added commission Vice President Eric LaBrant. “Julianna was stacked up against the best of the industry and she’s the most qualified candidate. I think this positions us well for moving forward with the vision this port has for its future.”