October 18, 2022
Sarah Highfield
Commissioner Kammerzell Named President of Pacific Northwest Waterways Association

Port Commissioners now lead two of the most reputable associations in port industry

PORTLAND, Ore. – Port of Whitman County Commissioner Tom Kammerzell was elected the 2023 board president of Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA) during the organization’s general membership meeting Thursday, October 13.

PNWA is a non-profit, non-partisan trade association of ports, businesses, public agencies and individuals who support navigation, energy, trade and economic development throughout the region. PNWA represents over 150 members from Oregon, Idaho and Washington, including the Port of Whitman County.

In his decade on the Port Commission, Kammerzell has served on many boards, but PNWA stood out as one of the most impactful on a federal scale, he said.

“PNWA has a great reputation,” Kammerzell said. “Carrying this forward and building it into the future for all of our interest groups and the economies of the Northwest and the nation is my focus [as the incoming board president].”

Kammerzell has held previous leadership positions within the association, most recently serving as a longtime chairman of the Inland Ports and Navigation Group, a subset of PNWA representing Columbia-Snake River System stakeholders in the courtroom.

Every year, Port Commissioners are assigned to serve on a myriad of state, local and regional boards. Their board service gives Whitman County a voice on a national scale and supports a regional approach to economic development. 

Kammerzell’s new board appointment means the Port of Whitman County is now represented at the helm of two of the most recognized associations in the port industry. Earlier this year, Commissioner Kristine Meyer was named the president of the Washington Public Ports Association (WPPA). WPPA represents the state’s 75 public port districts.

“I deeply appreciate Commissioners Kammerzell and Meyer’s service to two of the most outstanding organizations in the port world,” Port Executive Director Kara Riebold said. “Their leadership transcends the boundaries of Whitman County, providing their constituents critical representation across not only Washington State, but also Washington D.C.”

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About the Port of Whitman County

The Port of Whitman County is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all citizens of Whitman County through industrial real estate development, preservation of multi-modal transportation, facilitation of economic development and provision of on-water recreational opportunities.