Port interviews 3 candidates to replace longtime commissioner

Three community members with a variety of professional experience are the first in the running for the seat of a long-serving commissioner representing the northern reaches of the Port of Pasco.

Commissioners Jean Ryckman and Vicki Gordon interviewed bank executive Jim Arneson, former Pacific Northwest National Laboratory administrator Tanya Bowers, and workforce expert Tiffany Scott-Alviso during a Dec. 20 special meeting.

Commissioner Jim Klindworth, who represents Port District 3, is resigning from his seat early, effective Dec. 31, and did not participate in the interviews. Applications will remain open until noon on Jan. 3.

“These are the only three who have completed applications,” Executive Director Randy Hayden told the board. “There are a few other folks we’re talking to so there may be more interviews.”

Klindworth served as a commissioner for 37 years after first being elected to the position in 1987. During his tenure as a commissioner, the port grew from $31.5 million in assets in 1987 to $246.3 million as of 2023, according to a recent port newsletter.

Klindworth served for decades in elected positions, including 16 years on the Connell City Council, starting in 1967, six years as Connell mayor and two years on the Franklin County Cemetery District No. 2.

Commissioner compensation

Elected port commissioners serve six-year terms. The newly appointed commissioner will serve until the District 3 term ends in 2027, at which time he or she may run for election.

Port commissioners earn a base salary of $1,500 a month, $161 per meeting, up to 96 meetings a year, and may be eligible for state Department of Retirement Systems participation as well as port-paid medical benefits, among other benefits.

The three candidates for the position praised the port for its work in economic development, such as growing the Tri-Cities Airport and recruiting companies to its industrial parks and harbor. All three live in the southernmost end of District 3 but said they would strive to build relationships with and promote the interests of those far north of Pasco.

Meet the candidates

• Arneson moved to the Tri-Cities in his youth and holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting, according to his LinkedIn account. His professional experience ranges from serving as an auditor and bank chief financial officer to a commercial real estate broker and bank president. He is currently the chief operations officer for Community First Bank, which is being acquired by HAPO Community Credit Union.

He’s also served as board chairman for the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce and been a member of the chamber’s government affairs committee.

Arneson said he was surprised to recently learn that the Tri-Cities Airport is the third largest airport in the state and would want to ensure it could continue to effectively serve the community. Beyond that, he would focus on the long-range priorities of the port and how it can continue to contribute to a growing Tri-Cities.

“I don’t think there’s anything broken here,” Arneson told the board, later adding “there hasn’t been any drama but good drama like new flights or new tenants.”

• Bowers moved to District 3 in 2014 from the Washington, D.C., area. According to her LinkedIn page, she holds a bachelor’s degree in urban planning and master’s in psychology. Bowers has worked in a variety of fields over the past 30 years, from land use planning and education to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
   She most recently worked at PNNL for four years as its DEI/equal employment opportunity manager, which she resigned in February 2024. She’s also been involved in civic and volunteer roles, including as a member and chair of the Pasco Planning Commission from 2015-22.

“I love Pasco and I’m truly passionate about economic development,” Bowers told the board. “I am fascinated by cities, what makes them work, what makes them thrive.”

Bowers said her top goals as a port commissioner would be creating and pursuing new avenues for growth. Her time at PNNL illustrated the opportunities for commercialization of research and how the port could be an avenue for that. She’d also want to look at how to make the port can mitigate the impacts of climate change on the community and would want to assess the health of the port’s waterways for recreational and commercial use.

• Scott-Alviso grew up in Franklin County and said she has deep ties to its agricultural communities as her grandparents homesteaded in the northern part of the county starting in 1953. According to her LinkedIn account, she holds a bachelor’s degree in public communications and is a graduate of Class IX of Leadership Tri-Cities.

Her career has been in workforce development, with 22 years at the Benton-Franklin Workforce Development Council, where she served as CEO for nearly six years before stepping away to care for family in late 2023. Scott-Alviso currently serves as director of operations for nonprofit Lovin’ Me 911.

Scott-Alviso told the board her top goals as a port commissioner would be to sustain the work the port has accomplished and not be disruptive. However, she would also advocate for more dollars to be allocated to economic development efforts in and around Connell.

“I think now, more than ever, north Franklin County needs us,” she said.