PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 

COMMISSION AGENDA             Item No.      7b 
Date of Meeting     April 5, 2011 
DATE:    March 31, 2011 
TO:      Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:    Tom Barnard, Research and Policy Analyst 
Geri Poor, Regional Transportation Manager 
SUBJECT:  Century Agenda Committee Monthly Briefing 
SYNOPSIS: 
The Century Agenda Committee has held several internal meetings since the March 8, 2011, 
Commission briefing, and has held one Media Roundtable, also on that date. 
Planning continues around the following topics: 
Logistics for the "Fostering Economic Growth" Panel, especially panel members 
Possible overarching strategic goals 
Refining panel topics and questions 
Panel topics so far include: 1) Fostering Economic Growth, 2) Growing Seaport Trade and
Tourism, 3) Increasing Air Travel and Cargo, 4) Stewarding our Real Estate Assets, 
5) Enhancing Community Values, and 6) Matching Revenues to Strategic Goals. We are
reviewing possible changes in the two panels following the April 12 panel, as well as engaged in
logistical preparations for the Fostering Economic Growth panel on April 12.
MEDIA ROUNDTABLE: 
The Media Roundtable was a success, characterized by a high degree of thoughtful, insightful
and provocative discussion. Many themes emerged during the discussion, some of which were: 
Discontinuity: The next twenty-five years are going to be drastically different from the
past twenty-five. 
Continuity: Ironically, continuity in the sense that our seaport will still have a continued
commitment to be a cargo and cruise port in twenty-five years, and the airport will still
serve the region's primary air travel and cargo needs. 
The challenges posed by increased competition from other ports, and changes in global
trade patterns.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
March 31, 2011 
Page 2 of 3 

The opportunities that may bear fruit between the Port's traditional mission and the
developments in the "new economy" sectors. 
The relationships between the Port and our stakeholders as an aspect of our regional
relationships. 
Contributing to the success of the meeting was the open-ended nature of the questions, allowing
participants to bring their unique perspectives to the table. Those questions included: 
What do you see as the most important issues facing the Port in the next 25 years? The
region? The state? 
What about those same questions for the next five years? Ten? 
As representatives of/the voice for the citizenry, what do you believe is most important to
Port constituents? 
What do you believe should be most important to Port constituents? 
Media Participants included: 
Ray Heacox, President and General Manager, KING 5 
Glen Farley, aviation reporter, KING 5 
Bruce Ramsey, member, Editorial Board, Seattle Times 
Jon Talton, economics columnist, Seattle Times 
Bellamy Pailthorp, business and labor reporter, KPLU 
Tracy Record, editor, West Seattle Blog 
At the internal planning meeting held on the March 29, the Century Agenda Committee and
senior Port staff reviewed the success of the Media Roundtable and the themes and questions for
the next panel. We paid special attention to making sure the questions followed up on themes
raised in the Media Roundtable to illuminate the Economic Development panel discussion, and
how a strategic goal would emerge from that discussion for Commission and staff consideration. 
NEXT PANEL: FOSTERING ECONOMIC GROWTH 
The next panel discussion will be held on April 12, 2011, from 9:00-11:00 am at Pier 69, and is
entitled "Fostering Economic Growth." Some of the key questions to be considered will be: 
What can the Port do to foster regional economic growth? 
What are the strategic opportunities in the main job "clusters" around Puget Sound? 
What clusters make up the "new economy" and how can the Port assist their growth? 
(e.g., green jobs, composites, clean energy, biotech/biomed) 
How can the Port help increase exports in the global marketplace? 
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Port's workforce?

COMMISSION AGENDA 
T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
March 31, 2011 
Page 3 of 3 

What infrastructure improvements are most critical to economic growth? 
How could we use our economic development tools to gain regional competitive advantage? 
BACKGROUND: 
Starting in 2008, the Port of Seattle began the "Century Agenda"  a comprehensive vision and
strategic plan that focuses on the Port's next quarter-century. The goal of the Century Agenda
process is to refresh the Port's strategic plan, using a process that builds upon the
accomplishments of the first century with a visionary look forward to the emerging challenges
and opportunities of the 21st century. 
The first stage of the Century Agenda's work was completed on August 4, 2009, with the
adoption by the Commission of the "Century Agenda: Expert Panels' Recommended Guiding
Principles." Since that time, both the Commission and Port staff have engaged in iterative 
discussions to develop strategic goals to further work on the principles embodied in that report. 
The need for a formal process to finalize these goals prompted a proposal to form a temporary
Port of Seattle Commission Committee, as provided for in the Commission's Bylaws, to oversee
the next steps in the Commission's strategic planning process. On January 4, 2011, the
Commission approved the Century Agenda Committee, chaired by Commissioner Albro, and
joined by Commissioner Creighton.