by Jason Cruz
Northwest Asia Weekly
From left: Hamdi Mohamed, Sam Cho and Toshiko Grace Hasegawa
The leadership of the Port of Seattle changed last November, with the election of Hamdi Mohamed and Toshiko Grace Hasegawa to join Sam Cho as one of the port’s five commissioners. Most port commissioners are people of color. With these three voices, the Port of Seattle has become more diverse as it is one of the core drivers of commerce in the region.
The Port of Seattle’s mission is to promote trade, tourism, commerce, and job creation in a fair, responsible and environmentally responsible manner that promotes economic opportunity and quality of life in the region. There are five Port of Seattle commissioners overseeing the mission.
Cho, who was elected in the fall of 2019, was just 29 years old when he ran for the position. He became the youngest commissioner of the Port of Seattle and the only person of color at the Port of Seattle at the time. Cho campaigned on issues such as the economy, environmental stability, accountability, transparency and combating human trafficking.
Cho, elected with 60.8 percent of the vote, is the first Korean-American and youngest port commissioner since the port’s founding in 1911.
“There are a lot of barriers to diversity,” Cho said of his role at the Port of Seattle. “It takes a lot of time and it’s not expensive.”
“us [the Port of Seattle] Diversity was discussed internally and externally,” Cho explained. “As a representative of King County, how to diversify the workforce. “
One of Cho’s goals is to triple the number of minority commercial contractors in the Port of Seattle. Part of this includes a training and education component, which requires external communication with people in the community so they understand opportunities and can bid on contracts.
From a personnel standpoint, Cho noted that the Port of Seattle doesn’t have enough aviation and marine maintenance staff and wants to see qualified, diverse workers fill it.
Toshiko Grace Hasegawa comes from a family of community activism. As a little girl growing up in Beacon Hill, her father was a member of the largest truckers union in the country, and she learned about the labor movement through him and his colleagues. She also attended the “Take Back the Night” rally with her mother.
Coming from a working-class family, she realized that economic empowerment leads to social justice. She became one of two women of color elected to the Port of Seattle Commission.
“We are part of something greater than one. If it weren’t for the tremendous example set by my elders, I would not have the sense of responsibility or the courage to lead,” Hasegawa said of her reasons for running for the port commissioner position.
Hasegawa launched her campaign while pregnant with her daughter.
“I thrive on everyday life,” she said of her focus on balancing work and family life. Through her daughter’s eyes, she sees why she must pay the price, not only for her daughter’s sake, but for the best interests of all children.
“The first half of the year was filled with direction and a steep learning curve,” Hasegawa said of her job description. As co-chair of the Sustainability, Environment and Climate Committees and the Waterfront and Industrial Lands Committee, she has led issues related to the environment and labor.
“Places like Duwamish Valley and Beacon Hill have reduced life expectancy,” Hasegawa said of the environmental problems in these areas and how it has negatively impacted the people who live there. “These are historically red-line communities where people of color congregate and have lower average incomes.”
“When you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,” she added, underscoring Hasegawa’s support for the diversity needs of offices like the Port of Seattle.
As part of her work, she is studying the cleanup of the Duwamish River and is building a green corridor for cruise ships, where cruise lines have agreed to limit emissions.
Given that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, Hasegawa said she would work to ensure port workers have access to health care.
Last November, Commissioner Hamdi Mohammed became the first black woman to be elected to the Port of Seattle Commission and the first Somali woman to be elected to public office in Washington state. Prior to her election, she served as Deputy District Chief to U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal. She also worked for King County Executive Dow Constantine.
Mohammed decided to run for office after consulting with community members. “When the pandemic hit, I really saw how devastating it was and how it affected small businesses and communities of color,” she added, “and I wanted to be a part of it.” The commissioner is the only resident on the Port Commission. Members near the airport. “I live in the SeaTac area and I’m the only port commissioner who lives in South King County.”
“As a black immigrant, the seeds of my success were planted long ago by African American leaders,” Commissioner Hamdi said of the importance of diversity. “I have a responsibility to meet the needs of the diverse communities in King County.”
Last January, Hamdi began developing and sponsoring career startup programs for the Port of Seattle. The committee approved an increase of $2 million to the program, bringing the program to $4.1 million over the next three years. Port work is scheduled to begin in 2020 as a direct response to the economic crisis in the communities hardest hit by COVID. The program helps youth, especially those of color from economically disadvantaged zip codes, gain internship training opportunities in port-related jobs and careers in aviation, construction, green jobs, and maritime. The Commissioner stressed that the maritime and aviation industries are ageing and as individuals reach retirement age, there is a shortage of qualified individuals to replace them.
The Port of Seattle commissioner is working on a 2023 budget, and one of Hamdi’s projects is making North SeaTac Park a budget priority.
Specifically, she wants to invest in an ecological risk assessment of the space. She also advocates for shelters and restrooms for transit drivers, as well as improving commutes for SeaTac airport workers.
Jason is available at info@nwasianweekly.com.
