Meet Tim Payne
Tim is an executive leader and seasoned strategist. He is the leader we need on the Tacoma Port Commission to grow jobs and revenue for Pierce County. He has a strong background assisting public agencies to improve their business operations, managing contaminated site/environmental remediation efforts for industrial clients, serving as an elected city council member for 3 four-year terms, and volunteering his leadership on various non-profit/community boards.
Tim’s career and record of community involvement positions him to be our trusted representative who will listen and be a voice of reason and balance for the citizens of Pierce County as a Tacoma Port Commissioner.
Tim and his wife, Stephanie, have been married for 30 years. Downtown Gig Harbor is home. They have two sons, Joey and Will. Stephanie is a successful account executive. Joey is a local celebrity in Gig Harbor. Will is a senior in college and working toward being a commercial airline pilot.
Current Issues That Tim is Focused On—
More jobs in Pierce County for Pierce County
Too many of our neighbors have long commutes north for family wage jobs. The Port of Tacoma is an economic engine. We need to grow another 10,000 jobs and another $400M in economic impact right here in Pierce County.
Grow business in the Port
The Port of Tacoma has multiple contaminated properties. This is land waiting to be developed to create family wage jobs and generate millions of dollars of revenue for our economy. Clean-up of these properties needs to accelerate. Good paying jobs are at stake!
New perspective to guide the Port
As an executive leader and seasoned strategist, Tim will bring his 30-plus years of business focus to the Port Commission. Only one other Commissioner comes from a business background. In these times of tariff uncertainty, we need creative, collaborative, and practical business leadership.
A blue-collar foundation
Tim respects organized labor because he earned his way through college and law school as an Inland Boatman’s Union deckhand & dockworker. He understands what hard work looks like and understands the value of skilled family wage jobs.
Honor our Neighbors
In all the Port does, we must respect the origins of the land and be good neighbors both to the Puyallup Tribe and to the communities of Northeast Tacoma and East Tacoma. Tim was a board leader for a successful business/community collaboration to clean-up stormwater discharge. On city council, he spearheaded a joint salmon habitat restoration and transportation infrastructure improvement project that revitalized an entire downtown district.
Enhance our competitive edge
Terminal modernization, new maritime and industrial development, rail coordination, completing the Hwy 167 connector, along with supporting our capable union workforce must be priorities. For the past 22 years, Tim’s work has focused on optimizing the organization, the business processes, and the technology of public enterprises to meet their business goals. He brings this experience to the Port.
Build Regional collaboration
We need the governor, legislature, other ports, and the Northwest Seaport Alliance to have one voice and one strategy for economic development. As a city councilmember, Tim worked to build partnerships between the city, the county, the state, and the Federal government to build projects for future generations.
Creative, Collaborative & Practical
Tim’s leadership style is creative, collaborative, and grounded in practical experience. It’s shaped by a blue-collar foundation—one he built as a union tugboat deckhand and dock laborer in the Alaska Arctic, working his way through Seattle University and law school. His career began at age 13, cleaning sailboats at Crow’s Nest Marina on Commencement Bay’s Marine View Drive.
Tim grew up on the working waterfront. His father spent his career with Crowley Maritime, working across the globe. As a child, Tim followed him around on docks, cargo ships, tugboats, and barges in Tacoma, Seattle, San Francisco, Anchorage, Miami, and Singapore. Ports were his playground.
In addition to his strong business and maritime background, Tim dedicated 14 years to environmental leadership as a key figure, board member, and board chair of ECOSS—a Puget Sound regional nonprofit that fosters collaboration between businesses and diverse communities to promote environmental education and cleanup.
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decades of experience
“Tim is the leader the Port of Tacoma needs to strengthen the Port’s economic impact and drive smart job creation. With decades of experience in business development, large-scale project management, and community leadership, Tim is uniquely positioned to guide the Port toward continued prosperity.”
“Tim Payne is ready to serve, and the Port of Tacoma is ready for his leadership.”
—Deanna Keller, Tacoma Port Commissioner
Endorsed by….
- Deanna Keller, Tacoma Port Commissioner
- Don Johnson, Tacoma Port Commission President (former)
- Anders Ibsen, Tacoma Deputy Mayor (former)
- Terry Carter, Mayor of Bonney Lake
- Dave Olson, Mayor of Edgewood
- Mary Deming Barber, Mayor of Gig Harbor
- Paul Herrera, Pierce County Councilmember
- Reid Ekberg, Gig Harbor CIty Councilmember
- Seth Storset, Gig Harbor City Councilmember
- Steve Ekberg, Gig Harbor City Councilmember (former)
- Gig Harbor Firefighters, IAFF Local 3390
