After 40 years of service on the Tacoma waterfront, including 16 years as a Port of Tacoma Commissioner, Don Meyer is retiring. He decided not to seek re-election this year, and his last Commission meeting was December 16.
Meyer’s career at the Port began as a staff member in 1985. He served in a variety of roles, including Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Director.
Colleagues reflect on Commissioner Don Meyer’s service
“Don Meyer was an outstanding elected official and public servant. I began working with him about 35 years ago when he was a member of the Port Financial Department, and I was a new Commissioner. I served with him on the Commission for the last eight years. Don studied everything and always came prepared with great comments, questions and suggestions. Don has tremendous courage. He appropriately argued for positions, policies and programs that were not the recommended course of action. He was not a “go along-get-along” rubber stamp. He got along great but articulated dissenting positions that were oftentimes proven to be correct. The Port will miss his independence and courage.” - Commissioner John McCarthy
“I have been fortunate to have worked with Don for over 30 years and his dedication to making everything he does better for us all is demonstrated by the transformation of the Foss Waterway under his leadership as Director of the Foss Waterway Development Authority and the growth of our cargo operation and environmental cleanup programs while he served as both the Deputy Director of the Port and as a Tacoma Port Commissioner. He would always say, 'Every day is a holiday.' I will miss his dedication and compassion but wish him well in whatever life holds for him.” - Commissioner Dick Marzano
“Working alongside Don Meyer for six years has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my time on the Commission. Don’s thoughtful approach and genuine care for people have shaped not only the Port but the way we serve our community. His ability to listen, build consensus, and lead with integrity has made a lasting impact that I deeply admire. I will always value the lessons I’ve learned from him and the positive change he championed.” - Commissioner Deanna Keller
“It has been an honor to serve alongside Commissioner Don Meyer. I learned a lot from him and his lifetime of public service. From his work at the Port of Tacoma beginning in the 1980s, to serving as Deputy Executive Director, and for the past 16 years as Port Commissioner, Don helped shape a stronger resilient Port and a better Washington State. His steadfast environmental leadership, especially his push to clean up and restore the Tideflats and Foss Waterway, leaves a lasting legacy. Our region owes him deep gratitude for his vision and service.” - Commissioner Kristin Ang
“In the 80s we had a lot of things happening here in the Port of Tacoma all at once,” Meyer said. He pointed to the opening of the first on-dock intermodal rail yard on the West Coast, the establishment of the Port as a major container gateway, and the groundwork for the land claims settlement with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, which was signed in 1990.
Meyer traveled extensively for the Port, including in the Russian Far East and China, where he met with President Jiang Zemin alongside Washington Governor Mike Lowry.
“Those are the things I can’t imagine I would participate in being a person who grew up on a farm in South Dakota,” Meyer said.
In 1999, Meyer became Executive Director of the Foss Waterway Development Authority, which had development responsibility for more than a mile of waterfront property in downtown Tacoma.
After a legacy of industrial pollution, the Foss Waterway was the focus of an EPA Superfund cleanup.
“When I first got involved, I thought I’d lost my mind,” Meyer said. “It was the largest septic tank I'd ever seen, and it was the armpit of Tacoma.”
Under Meyer’s leadership, the west side of the waterway was redeveloped to include marinas, apartments, restaurants and the Museum of Glass, all connected to the new University of Washington Tacoma.
The defining event of Meyer’s work on the Foss Waterway was the 2005 Tacoma Tall Ships Festival, when 29 tall ships from around the world gathered for a five-day festival that drew hundreds of thousands of people. The event led to preservation of the historic building and dock at Foss Waterway Seaport.
“It was both frightening with such large crowds and a dream come true on the transformation from industrial uses to a mixed use capable of attracting tourists,” Meyer said.
Now, the east side of the Foss Waterway is beginning to see a transformation, with the Port of Tacoma’s Maritime Center project, a partnership with Tacoma Public Schools. Commissioner Meyer joined a unanimous vote approving the project in 2024.
Meyer joined the Port of Tacoma Commission in 2010, after retiring from the Foss Waterway Development Authority.
“I thought maybe I could contribute a little bit,” Meyer said. “I didn’t really anticipate to be 16 years here as a commissioner.”
Meyer’s contributions included serving as president of the Washington Public Ports Association and a member of former Governor Christine Gregoire’s Connecting Washington Task Force on transportation issues.
As Commissioner, Meyer is passionate about environmental stewardship, particularly clean water, and supporting international commerce.
“I always felt that one of the responsibilities that we should have as leaders, and particularly as Commissioners, is the advocacy of educating what it means to have a global connection,” Meyer said.
As he transitions to retirement, Meyer sees a strong future for the Port of Tacoma.
“I think we've got a capability now that's far beyond what we had in the 80s, which really gets me excited.”