On the Job with Port of Anacortes Executive Director Dan Worra

​Where’s Waldo? He is in Anacortes, WA.
 
Waldo, a.k.a. Dan Worra served twenty-four years as a naval pilot in the United States Navy. During the last stretch of his long naval career he served as the Operations Manager at Whidbey NAS, which prepared him for his next career, Executive Director for the Port of Anacortes.
 
In April of 2015, Dan Worra started his new civilian job and instead of answering to higher-ranking officers he now answers directly to the five elected commissioners who govern the Port of Anacortes and set the policies for the Port.
 
“I interpret their vision and their guidance and through the Mission Statement. I execute that vision into a day-to-day operating plan,” Worra said.
 
Being Executive Director for the eighth largest port in the state of Washington is not an easy feat. Luckily he has a great staff of thirty-one full-time people who make his job that much easier. Reporting directly to him are three directors. Together they work like a well-oiled machine.
 
“What I do on a day-to-day basis is try to stay out of the way of the three directors and whatever I can do to make their jobs easier is kind of what I think my job is,” Worra said.
 
The Director of Operation, Josh Beaner, has been with the Port for twenty one-years. Beaner has worked in just about every job with the Port. As Director of Operations, he manages the day-to-day operations in the three main operating areas for the Port—the airport, the marine terminals, and the 1,000 slips in Cap Sante Marina.
 
Director of Finance and Administration is Jill Brownfield. Jill has been with the port for a little over three years. The operating revenue of the Port of Anacortes is around $16 million dollars, almost double what it was ten years ago. This makes the Port of Anacortes the eighth largest port in the state of Washington in revenue. Following closely behind is the Port of Olympia, similar in size, in staff, and operating areas. The Port of Anacortes often uses the Port of Olympia when doing comparisons.
 
A new Director position was added a little over a year ago: The Director of Planning, Properties and Environmental. Brenda Treadwell fills these big shoes, working closely with Dan Worra to plan long-range goals for the port, best use of port properties, and making sure they are being environmentally compliant.
 
Just short of sixty companies, creating well over a 1000 jobs on port property, Brenda Treadwell works with them on leases and agreements, as well as future uses. For example, the port has entered into a feasibility agreement with the VIP Hospitality Group to possibly put a hotel where the dog park is located next to Cap Sante Marina.
 
The Port of Anacortes works hard to be environmentally compliant. They feel it is their role to be the leader and stewards in cleaning up Anacortes. In the last 10 years the Port has done $60 million in clean up projects.
 
“For a port our size to do $60 million in clean up is tremendous,” Worra said.
 
Dan Worra works with the five commissioners on where the port is heading, capital improvement plans and capitalizing large infrastructure plans, and working on the annual budget.
 
Dan Worra moved to Anacortes in ’92, met his lovely wife Carrie in ’93, married in ’97 and considers Anacortes their home and the best place to raise their children. Waldo retired in 2014 and began the next stage in his life as Executive Director for the Port of Anacortes.