|
 Port of
Walla Walla History |
| In
1952 voters of Walla Walla County overwhelmingly approved
establishing the Port of Walla Walla whose boundaries
encompass the entire county. By a 7 to 1 margin, voters
favored formation of the public port district, which has
broad authority under Washington state law to foster economic
development. Besides approving formation of the port district,
voters elected the Port’s first three commissioners
– William D. Ray, a Walla Walla farm implement dealer;
William E. Vollmer, a wheat rancher and mayor of Waitsburg,
and William E. Falconer, also a wheat rancher. |
William
D. Ray |
William
E. Vollmer |
William
E. Falconer |
|
| Formation
of the public port district as the county’s prime
economic development entity culminated an effort initiated
in 1938 by the Walla Walla Chamber of Commerce, the Grange
and the Walla Walla Farm Bureau. The impetus for establishing
the port district in 1952 was the 1954 completion of McNary
Dam and its pool, which brought navigable waters to western
Walla Walla County. As a result, the Port initially focused
on developing industrial sites and facilities on the Columbia
and Snake rivers. |
Port
and River Grain Terminal, Inc. sign lease in 1958 to
develop an 800,000-bushel grain elevator at Burbank. |
| The
Port broadened its focus with the development of industrial
parks and buildings in and around the City of Walla Walla
during the 1970’s and 1980’s. Projects included
building manufacturing facilities for Nelson Irrigation
Corporation and constructing Key Technology, Inc.’s
corporate headquarters at a cost of $8.8 million. |
Key Technology, Inc.
Ground Breaking
1989
Left
to Right
B. Loyal Smith, Mayor, City of Walla Walla
Harold Frank, Chairman of the Board, Key Technology,
Inc.
Wes Colley, Port of Walla Walla Commissioner
Tom Madsen, CEO, Key Technology, Inc.
|
Key Technology, Inc.
Ground Breaking
1989
Left to Right
Bud Prince, Chairman, Team Walla Walla
B. Loyal Smith, Mayor, City of Walla Walla
Senator Jeannette Hayner
Tom Madsen, CEO, Key Technology, Inc.
|
|
In
1989 the Port acquired ownership of the Walla Walla Regional
Airport (2,200 acre complex) from the City and County
of Walla Walla. Under the Port’s leadership the
airport industrial park has been revitalized and a new
airport terminal building was constructed in 2000 at a
cost of $10.5 million.
|
Walla
Walla Regional Airport
Passenger Terminal Facility Dedication
December 2000
Left
to Right
Larry Adams, Walla Walla Regional Airport Manager
Fred Bennett, Port of Walla Walla Commissioner
Scott Gruber, Congressman Nethercutt’s office
Carol Key, Federal Aviation Administration
Ken Jantz, Port of Walla Walla Commissioner
Jeff Pinneo, Horizon Air
Larry Schwartz, Lydig Construction
Dutch Hayner, Past City/County Airport Board Member
Paul Coppock, The DOH Associates
Paul Schneidmiller, Port of Walla Walla Commissioner
Jim Kuntz, Executive Director, Port of Walla Walla
|
| The
Port assumed the economic development council role in
1996. In this role the Port coordinates and executes a
broad range of economic development services including
business recruitment, business retention, infrastructure
development, and small business development. Functioning
as a Port and as an economic development council has provided
for a more seamless delivery of economic development services.
|
Dedication
of Cliffstar’s Juice Processing Plant
February 2003
Left
to Right
Stanley A. Star, Owner, Cliffstar Corporation
Fred Bennett, Port Commissioner
Paul Schneidmiller, Port Commissioner
|
CELEBRATION OF PROGRESS
Four-Laning of U.S. Highway 12
June 30, 2003 |
|
|
RAILEX DEDICATION
and Celebration of Progress
Four-Laning of U.S. Highway 12
October 26, 2006
Wallula, Washington |
|
RAILEX PROJECT RECEIVES PRAISE
November 2006
Port of Walla Walla receives the Governor's Best Practices in Economic Development award for the Railex Project at the Governor's Economic Development Conference in Vancouver, WA |
Left
to Right
Paul Schneidmiller, Port Commissioner
Juli Wilkerson, Director of WA State Dept. of Community, Trade and Economic Development
Dr. Fred Bennett, Port Commissioner
|
PORT OF WALLA WALLA
WALLA WALLA REGIONAL AIRPORT
WINE INCUBATOR BUILDINGS
LEGISLATIVE TOUR
December 2006
|
Left
to Right
Paul Gerola, Economic Development Director, Port of Walla Walla
Devin Stinger, Adamant Cellars
Mike Fredrickson, Port Commissioner
Jim Kuntz, Executive Director, Port of Walla Walla
Paul Schneidmiller, Port Commissioner
Representative Maureen Walsh
Frank Chopp, Speaker
Dr. Fred Bennett, Port Commissioner
Representative Bill Grant
|
Governor Gregoire
Dedication of Walla Walla Regional Airport
Wine Incubator Project
May 17, 2007 |
|
| Today,
the Port is one of the most active economic development
organizations in the state. This can be attributed to
the progressive and forward thinking citizens who created
the Port in 1952, and to community leaders who have supported
the Port’s continued growth through the years. |
|
Interesting
Note of History
When
communities elsewhere in Eastern Washington as well
as in Idaho were proposing to establish public port
districts in 1958, representatives of those communities
paraded to the Port of Walla Walla. The Port, then only
six years old, already was experiencing a great deal
of success in attracting industry to the county. So,
port-formation advocates and newspaper representatives
came to Walla Walla to see for themselves why the Port
here was so successful and how a port should function.
At the time, voters were being asked to establish port
districts in Chelan, Douglas and Asotin counties in
Washington and Nez Perce County in Idaho. The Port of
Walla Walla apparently was an inspiring example. Voters
in all four counties subsequently authorized establishing
public port districts. |
Port
of Walla Walla Commissioners |
Commissioner
District #1
Name |
Term |
| Paul
H. Schneidmiller |
June
2000-Present |
| Wes
Colley |
1985-May
2000 |
| Larry
Pepin |
1968-1984 |
| William
D. Ray |
1952-1968 |
|
Commissioner
District #2
Name |
Term |
| Michael Fredrickson |
2006-Present |
| Kenneth
N. Jantz |
1982-2005 |
| Morris
Ganguet |
1970-1981 |
| Benjamin
B. Flathers |
1960-1969 |
| William
E. Vollmer |
1952-1960 |
|
Commissioner
District #3
Name |
Term |
| Fred
R. Bennett |
1998-Present |
| Robert
J. Petersen |
1992-1997 |
| Fred
R. Bennett |
1980-1991 |
| Charles
T. Nunn |
1974-1979 |
| C.W.
Martin, Jr. |
1970-1973 |
| Henry
Garbe |
1964-1970 |
| Earl
R. Lovell |
1956-1964 |
| William
E. Falconer |
1952-1955 |
|
Port
of Walla Walla Managers |
Name/Title |
Employment |
| James
M. Kuntz, Executive Director |
1990-Present |
| Roy
Nishi, Port Manager |
1983-1990 |
| James
H. Beddow, Port Manager |
1970-1983 |
| Richard
M. White, Port Manager |
1966-1970 |
| William
J. Reid, Port Manager |
1961-1965 |
| Elva
Bair, Office Manager |
1959-1961 |
| Howard
D. Besire, Development Operations Director |
1956-1959 |
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