Coleman to lead Vancouver, Wash., port in ?12

Coleman to lead Vancouver, Wash., port in Æ12    The Port of Vancouver board of commissioners has picked Deputy Executive Director Todd Coleman as the Washington state port's next executive director when Larry Paulson retires in April 2012.
   Paulson announced his decision to step down from the executive director position he has held since 1999 at the board's regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday.
   He first shared his plans for retirement with the commission in early 2010; at which time the commission accelerated the port's succession planning process that began in 2006. Pat Jones, an independent contractor with Jones Strategic Consulting and former executive director of the Washington Public Ports Association, was hired to help the commissioners through the process.
   Joining the port in 2001, Coleman served as director of facilities before being promoted to deputy executive director in 2005. Before that, he was a partner in an engineering consulting firm, Coleman & Davido Engineering Consultants, in Estacada, Ore. He also held positions with Oregon companies URS and Parametrix.
   Upon retirement, Paulson will have served the port for 20 years. Beginning in 1992, he acted as the primary attorney to the port while with the law offices of Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt. He was named successor to retired Executive Director Byron Hanke in April 1997, and officially took the helm at the port as executive director in January 1999.
   Paulson and Coleman will continue in their current positions through April 30, 2012, the port authority said.