Port of Port Angeles Finance Director Bill James was among six finalists chosen Friday to replace retiring Executive Director Clyde Boddy.
James has been the Port’s finance director for 13 years and is past financial services manager for the city of Port Angeles.
The other five finalists come from the Ports of Tacoma and Everett on Puget Sound, Kennewick in Eastern Washington, Camas-Washougal in Southwestern Washington and Maryland.
The six were chosen from a list of 18 semifinalists, which had been reduced from 68 original applicants.
Next week, the final six will face two days of tours, meetings, interviews and a social hour.
The finalists
Here are the six finalists:
* Bill James, Port of Port Angeles director of finance and administration.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Mount St. Mary’s College in Maryland, a master’s of business administration degree with an emphasis in accounting and finance from the University of Rhode Island, and has completed doctoral level coursework in business administration at the University of Washington.
Prior to his current position, James was financial services manager and auditor for the Port of Port Angeles. He supervised the accounting department and prepared financial audits and the annual budget.
In 1988, James was the city of Port Angeles’ financial services manager. He was responsible for preparing and supervising financial reports and budgets.
* Jeffrey Bishop has been the Port of Tacoma’s industrial development manager for three years.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Central State University of Oklahoma.
Prior to coming to the Port of Tacoma, Bishop was director of properties and development for the Port of Pasco in Eastern Washington. He was responsible for Pasco’s two marine terminals, more than 900 acres of land and about 1.5 million square feet of commercial and industrial buildings.
* Linda Boomer has been the Port of Kennewick’s director of planning and development and airport manager for eight years.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in urban land development, and a master’s degree in real estate and land use from California State University.
Prior to the Port of Kennewick, Boomer was marketing specialist for the city of Richland. She implemented marketing plans for Richland’s commercial properties and headed the business recruitment team at the Tri-City Industrial Development Council.
Before then, Boomer worked for more than 11 years with the Union Pacific Realty Co., rising to manager of real estate operations.
* Robert Chesney has been the Port of Everett’s director of properties and development for nine years.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master of marine affairs degree in port management from the University of Washington.
Prior to his current position, Chesney was the Port of Everett’s development project manager. He was responsible for capital infrastructure analysis as well as site planning and construction project management for commercial and industrial real estate development.
Before going to Everett, he was the assistant to the Port of Longview’s executive director, primarily responsible for property management and lease administration.
* Cheryl Taylor has been the Maryland Port Administration’s finance director and Maryland International Terminals’ treasurer and chief financial officer for three years.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance from the University of Santa Clara in California.
Prior to the Maryland positions, Taylor was the Port of Portland’s senior finance manager in Oregon. She was responsible for strategic and long-term business planning, designing and programming a PC-based analysis and forecasting model for annual and long-term planning.
Before working for public ports, Taylor worked in finance in the high-tech and hospitality industries.
* Sheldon Tyler has been Port of Camas/Washougal’s executive director for 19 years.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California.
Prior to joining the Port of Camas/Washougal, which is on the Columbia River, Tyler was the purchasing supervisor for Publishers Paper. He directed purchasing, receiving and storage for a four-machine pulp and paper mill.
Tyler served in the U.S. Army in Germany and Vietnam, becoming a captain within two years and earning the Vietnam Commendation Medal and Bronze Star.
