Port of Seattle 2014
Social Responsibility Report






Social responsibility is the idea that an organization should act for the good of society as 
a whole. The Port of Seattle was founded on this concept more than 100 years ago, when
citizens voted to make the port a public entity to ensure that its prosperity benefited the
entire community. While a lot has changed over the past century, this commitment to social
responsibility remains at the heart of our work. This report provides a snapshot of how
employees across the port are working to strengthen our community.

Supporting Small Businesses
Small businesses are at the heart of the port's Century
Agenda vision to add 100,000 new jobs in King County 
through economic growth. Supporting small businesses
keeps money in the community, which helps grow our 
economy and create quality local jobs.

Our goal is to ensure 40 percent of the money we spend 
on construction, consulting and goods and services goes 
to qualified small businesses, including minority-owned, 
women-owned and disadvantaged firms. Here's a look at 
some of the work we are doing to hit our 40 percent target.
At the Regional Contracting Forum, Port of Seattle representatives Delmas Whittaker
Small Business Program            (left) and Tina Boyd (right) with Regina Glenn, a small business chief executive officer
The Office of Social Responsibility's Small Business Program
works to increase opportunities for small businesses to           We help port staff connect with qualified small businesses: 
participate in contracts with the port.                       The Small Business Program partners with departments across
the port to highlight opportunities for meeting their operational
We help small businesses understand what it takes to earn        needs by working with small businesses.
port work: Over the course of the year, we help them learn 
about the port's needs and contracting methods through         We celebrate success: Increasing our work with small businesses
informational events, training and direct outreach. In 2014,        requires committed, creative port staff and small businesses 
we met with more than 1,000 individuals through a series of        that provide excellent goods and services at competitive rates. 
small business-focused events, including our "Navigating          We celebrate these leaders throughout the year, both to express
Port Contracting" and "Regional Contracting" events.           our gratitude and to share their inspiring stories.

Results Of the $357.5 million spent port-wide on contracts in 2014, over $112 million was with small
businesses. This represented more than 31 percent of total value of port contracts last year.

2014 Port of Seattle Contract Spending

$2.1 m                    $72.2 m
0.60%                 20.19%
$245.5 m     $112 m     $1.7 m
68.66%     31.34%    0.47%
$4.4 m
1.25%
$31.6 m
8.84%

Unclassified/Large Businesses         Disadvantaged, Certified                  Women-Owned, Certified
Small Businesses                 Self-Reported Small Businesses             Minority-Owned, Certified
Small Contracts & Suppliers, Certified

OSR | Report to the Community 2014   2

Small Contractors and Suppliers Program         Disparity Research
The Office of Social Responsibility partners with King            Last year, we proactively completed a disparity study to find out
County's Small Contractors and Suppliers program to ensure       how well we included small businesses, such as minority-owned,
opportunities for very small businesses (those less than 50        women-owned and disadvantaged businesses, in port contracts.
percent of the Federal Small Business Administration size         This research indicated that we need to do a better job at including
standard). The port strives to include firms certified by this         these types of firms, and we are using this new information to
program by setting goals and requirements to work with such      improve our efforts to include diverse businesses.
businesses in certain construction and consulting contracts,
and by providing a five percent pricing advantage for goods        Small Business Champions
and services from certified firms.                          Small Business Champions are small businesses that provide 
the port with excellent goods and services, and port employees
Ensuring Opportunity for All                  who go the extra mile to create opportunities for small 
We work with the businesses, community leaders              businesses to work with the port.
and departments across the port to ensure we include 
businesses owned by a diverse range of people. Our work          Last year, the internal Small Business Champion was Michele
includes tracking the port's performance in key areas,            King, a Sea-Tac Airport concessions manager, who led the 
meeting with community and business leaders to understand       effort to introduce kiosks as a new, lower-cost option for 
their concerns and ideas, and using all this data to help the         local businesses to market their goods at the airport.
port become a more inclusive place for women-owned, 
minority-owned and disadvantaged businesses.               Ideal Commercial Uniforms was the 2014 external Small 
Business Champion.

Results The port spent about $16.3 million with minority-owned, women-owned and disadvantaged 
businesses in 2014. This represented a total inclusion rate of about 4.6 percent in 2014, up from 
3.2 percent in 2013, including both self-reported and certified firms.

2014 Contracts with Minority-Owned, Women-Owned and Disadvantaged Businesses
$1.7 m
$4.3 m

$4.5 m

$341 m
$3.7 m

$2.1 m

Other Contracts      Minority-Owned, Certified           Women-Owned, Certified            Disadvantaged, Certified
Minority-Owned, Self-Reported        Women-Owned, Self-Reported


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Gloria Rosario (holding award) and Rafael Rosario (third from left), owners of Ideal Commercial Uniforms, received the 2014 Small Business Champion award for providing
excellent service to the port. The Rosarios are pictured with port officials (left to right) then-CEO Tay Yoshitani; Commissioner John Creighton; Small Business Program 
Manager Mian Rice; Commissioners Tom Albro, Stephanie Bowman, Bill Bryant and Courtney Gregoire; and Director of the Office of Social Responsibility Luis Navarro.
The Rosarios' Story of Business Excellence
Ideal Commercial Uniforms was named a 2014 Small Business Champion for providing excellent goods and services 
to the port. Below is a brief Q&A with owner Gloria Rosario:

How would you describe your business?
We are a family business that provides screen printing,         Whittaker, a manager at Sea-Tac. That early
embroidery and branded promotional products. Most         conversation eventually led to an opportunity to 
days, it's just my husband, Rafael, and me, but our            provide jackets and vests to a team at the airport. 
children and parents pitch in when things get really busy.         When people at the port saw what we could do, 
it opened new doors for us to grow our business.
What motivated you to become an
entrepreneur?                        What does this award mean to you?
At first we were motivated by the tough job market.            I was at a loss for words, and proud to see the port 
We wanted to create our own opportunities. Now one          was happy with our work. Quality is the only way to
of our biggest motivations is helping people bring their         earn repeat customers, and I hold myself to a very 
own businesses to the next level with quality uniforms         high standard. We provided the port with the high 
and other products.                               level of quality we aim to give all of our customers.
How did you learn about opportunities
with the port?
We attended the Regional Contracting Forum, which
gave us a chance to explain our services to Delmas


OSR | Report to the Community 2014   4

Fostering Entrepreneurship                  Airport University
Small businesses are a major driver of innovation, prosperity        Airport University helps workers expand their career advancement
and regional competitiveness. We support them by working        opportunities by offering classes at the airport. There are a
with the Small Business Development Center at Highline         number of class topics such as security badge test preparation,
College to ensure that new and existing small businesses         customer service and Microsoft Office skills. By partnering with
have access to training, capital and potential markets.            Highline and South Seattle colleges, Airport University allows
During 2014, the center assisted 212 small firms, including        participants to earn college credit for many of the classes.
16 new starts. As a result, those firms created 32 new local
jobs and were able to access more than $2.3 million in loans
to grow their businesses.                                 Results
337 individuals participated in classes
Workforce Development         222 attended non-college job skills workshops
109 successfully completed college-level classes
A diverse, skilled workforce and a strong middle class are 
critical to sustain and grow our economy. The port supports a
range of job training and programs to connect people with the      The Airport Jobs Center
skills they need to secure quality jobs, and increase productivity     Airport Jobs offers airport-related employers a centralized
and earnings. At the same time, the port works to connect         location to post job openings and find qualified candidates. 
businesses with the talent they need to compete and thrive.       It is the primary recruiting tool for many employers, and is 
the main resource for people seeking employment at Sea-Tac.
Job Training with Port Jobs
Located in the airport, this facility not only helps job seekers
We work with Port Jobs, a non-profit organization that helps       find jobs, but also helps them improve skills such as writing
people develop job skills through programs including classes,      resumes and preparing for interviews.
training and apprenticeships offered at Seattle-Tacoma
International Airport. Port Jobs supports the following programs:
Results
Assisted nearly 6,500 individuals
Helped 1,143 clients get jobs, which equates 
to almost $18 million in annual wages for 
local households

Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are one of the main routes to a job in the
trades, such as electrician or carpenter. The port supports
apprenticeships by working with community partners to help
aspiring tradespeople enter apprenticeships at the port, and
by requiring that a portion of the work on large construction
projects be completed by apprentices.


Classroom learning is one way workers can boost their professional development.

5  OSR | Report to the Community 2014

Apprentice Utilization
On most port projects exceeding $1 million, we require
apprentices to perform 15 percent of total labor hours.
Additional diversity and inclusion goals call for 15 percent 
of apprentice hours to be performed by minorities and 10
percent by women.

Results
Apprentices worked 14.8 percent of hours 
on contracts over $1 million
201 apprentices worked a cumulative 48,481
Veteran Fellows for 2014 Tim Toerber (left), Nicole Cruz and Junius Lofton held port
hours and earned over $1.2 million in wages        jobs in project management, real estate and maintenance.
Minorities worked 26 percent of the 
apprentice hours                         In 2014 these opportunities included:
Women worked 9.6 percent of apprentice hours
Veterans Fellow Program 
Five veterans were fellows in this program during 2014. To date,
more than 80 percent of fellows moved into civilian employment
Apprenticeship Opportunities Project
at or just after the end of their fellowships. 
To help increase access to quality jobs in the skilled trades for
women and under-represented communities, we support the       Student Internship Program 
non-profit ANEW's Apprentice Opportunity Project. AOP assists     Our Human Resources and Development and Community
with resume writing and filling out job and apprenticeship         Partnership departments placed nine high school, 25 college 
applications, teaches interview skills, and connects applicants      and eight graduate students in internship positions at the port. 
with employers seeking qualified applicants. 

Results
333 people enrolled in AOP services
150 began registered apprenticeships
An average starting apprenticeship wage 
of $21.11 per hour 

Internship & Fellowship Programs 
The port supports a range of career awareness and hands-on
National Urban Fellow Kim Walsh (left) and Port of Seattle Veteran Fellow Simran
learning opportunities for students such as Raisbeck Aviation      Lamba (right) with Luis Navarro, who leads the Office of Social Responsibility.
High School, Ballard Maritime Academy, Seattle and Highline
colleges, and Washington State STEM Education Foundation.      National Urban Fellows Program
We also offer several types of paid internship and fellowship        The Office of Social Responsibility hosted a fellow from 
opportunities.                                     this organization, which promotes excellence and diversity 
in public service, social justice and equity .


OSR | Report to the Community 2014   6

Community Focus
Community Giving Campaign 
Port employees give back through our Community Giving         employees across the port to identify and participate 
Campaign. Over the past couple of years, our payroll             in local volunteer opportunities throughout the year.
department led the effort to raise awareness about the
program and make giving easier than ever by streamlining        In its first year, PAVE helped 325 people volunteer more 
the payroll deduction process. Last year, employees raised         than 880 hours of time for causes such as tutoring children, 
more than $111,000 for area nonprofits and provided            cleaning up the environment, feeding the hungry and 
support to 144 charitable organizations.                    combating homelessness.*
Port Volunteers                  *These figures do not include all volunteer projects conducted 
in 2014, only those included in PAVE's new volunteer opportunity
In 2014, port staff came together to found the Port Association 
tracking tool.
of Volunteer Employees. PAVE serves as a resource helping









Alaska Airlines lends reality to practice sessions for children with autism to learn about the air travel experience.
Wings for Autism
Wings for Autism creates "practice flights" to help              Impact
families with children on the autism spectrum become          "I have been terrified to take my son on
more comfortable moving through airport security              an airplane; mainly the terminal and 
and preparing for a flight. This annual event, hosted 
the waiting has been my fear. This event
at Sea-Tac Airport, is a partnership between the port,
has given us the confidence to give more 
Alaska Airlines, U.S. Transportation Security
experiences to my son. I decided that
Administration, and The Arc of King County, a non-
I am actually going to book a flight."
profit that advocates for people with developmental
disabilities. In 2014, 130 families participated.                        Wings for Autism participant


7  OSR | Report to the Community 2014

Restaurants at Sea-Tac Airport provide a consistent supply of unsold pre-packaged pastries, sandwiches, salads and other items in a win-win community partnership.
Airport Food Donation
Results
Sea-Tac concessionaires give surplus food to the 
Des Moines Area Food Bank through the airport's               33,000 pounds of surplus food donated
food donation program, which designates space                to the Des Moines Area Food Bank in 2014 
and equipment for participating concessionaires,                (roughly 507 meals per week)
and coordinates with the food bank to distribute               155,000 pounds of food donated by
donations. This program supplies wholesome and               concessionaires since 2006
nutritious meals to local communities and reduces
airport food waste and disposal fees.

Sound Insulation Program           Community Events
This port program aims to reduce aircraft noise that people         The port collaborates with organizations around the region 
hear in homes and classrooms.                         to educate the community about Seattle's rich maritime 
history and the importance of today's working waterfront. 
These activities include the following community festivals 
Results                     and educational publications:
10,000 homes insulated since the program 
Fishermen's Fall Festival 
began in 1985 
We work with dozens of local businesses to host the
96 percent of eligible homes insulated by 
Fishermen's Fall Festival that celebrates the annual return 
the end of 2014
of the North Pacific fishing fleet to Fishermen's Terminal with
Eight schools in the Highline School District
family activities, demonstrations and educational opportunities.
and 14 buildings on the Highline College
This event is totally volunteer-powered, and all proceeds support
campus received port funding for sound          the Seattle Fishermen's Memorial Foundation to assist families
insulation or reconstruction                  of fishers lost at sea. Last year's celebration marked the 100th
anniversary of Fishermen's Terminal. 

OSR | Report to the Community 2014   8

Cleaner Trucks, Stronger Fleet
Drayage trucks provide a critical service by carrying goods
between the port and warehouses throughout the region. Many
drivers own one or two trucks, and the port works with a variety 
of agencies to help these small business owners succeed while
upgrading the fleet and reducing its impact on local air quality.
Clean Trucks
By 2018, we will require that all drayage trucks entering our 
container terminals have model-year 2007 or newer engines
or meet 2007 federal emissions standards. The Seaport Truck
Scrappage and Replacements for Air in Puget Sound (ScRAPS)
program helps truck owners meet this requirement by offering
up to $30,000 to scrap old trucks and replace them with 
newer ones. The program is funded by the Washington State
The annual Maritime Festival offers entertainment and education for children,         Department of Transportation and Department of Ecology, 
parents and other visitors.
the U.S. Department of Transportation and Environmental
Protection Agency, and the port.
Vigor Seattle Maritime Festival
The port partners with Vigor Industrial, the Seattle Propeller 
Club and dozens of working waterfront businesses to host 
Results
the Vigor Seattle Maritime Festival each spring. The festival
attracts hundreds of families with events, interactive activities         The first phase of the program, between 2008
and information about Seattle's maritime history and modern         and 2011, helped replace more than 280 trucks.
working waterfront.                                     The second phase, launched in May 2014, helped
replaced more than 100 trucks as of March 2015.
Educational publications 
Did you know that more than 40 percent of the fish eaten in 
the United States is caught by boats based in Seattle, or that 
the average salary in Washington's maritime industry is $70,800?     Building Strong Businesses
The port partners with The Seattle Times to publish educational     We partner with Seattle's African Chamber of Commerce to host
supplements called Maritime 101 and Seafood 101 to help        business workshops for truck owner-operators. Workshops cover
educate the public about our working waterfront.              the basics of owning a business, such as creating a business plan
and sound financial practices, and trucking-specific topics such
as vehicle maintenance management. 
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST FISHING INDUSTRY, NOAA FISHERIES AND NEWSPAPERS IN EDUCATION PRESENT
Seafood 101
Celebrating Local Seafood






Newspaper supplements, such as the one depicted above,
are designed to inform the public about the gifts of the sea
that our area enjoys.                                                The port partners with Washington State Patrol and others to help drayage truck
owners and drivers build business, safety and other skills.
9  OSR | Report to the Community 2014

Published by the Office of Social
Responsibility 
The Office of Social Responsibility supports the Port of 
Seattle's job creation and economic development efforts 
in the communities we serve. Our programs help ensure 
that port activities are conducted within a framework of
equity, inclusion and equal access to economic opportunity.
We work closely with departments throughout the port
to implement socially responsible programs.
Our team from left to right: National Urban Fellow Kim Walsh; Analysts Simran
Lamba and Tina Boyd; Director Luis Navarro; Workforce Development Program
Manager Marie Kurose; Administrative Assistant Charlene Jones and Small 
Contact Us                 Business Program & Policy Manager Mian Rice
206.787.5775
OSR@portseattle.org
We want to hear from you!                     Visit http://bit.ly/social_responsibility


Port of Seattle Commissioners
Tom Albro 
Stephanie Bowman
Bill Bryant 
John Creighton 
Courtney Gregoire
Chief Executive Officer
Port of Seattle, P.O. Box 1209
Ted J. Fick                                                    Seattle, WA 98111 
U.S.A.
206.787.3000
www.portseattle.org
The Port of Seattle operates under the State of Washington's Public Disclosure Act.
To obtain public records, visit http://bit.ly/pr-requests or call 206.787.4141.

Photography, Don Wilson