Katie Gerard

With more than 20 years of experience in Human Resources, Katie Gerard brings an extensive background in public sector Human Resources (HR) leadership. She most recently served as Director of HR in Olympia for Thurston County where she regularly worked with their elected officials. Prior to her role with the county, she gained expertise in establishing innovative change across four areas within the State of Washington, including WA State Parks and Recreation, Personnel, Office of Financial Management, and Department of Revenue. At the state she served as Human Resources (HR) Director in two agencies as well as Planning and Strategy Section Chief of another state agency. This breadth of experience uniquely qualifies her for the Human Resources Senior Director role at the Port.

Gerard reports to the Port’s Executive Director and oversees 45 employees serving a workforce of more than 2,000 through the full array of HR functions, including: Talent Acquisition; HR Business Partners; Intern/Veteran Fellow outreach programs; Organizational Development; Talent Development and Diversity; Employee Relations; HR Communications; HR Information Systems; Compensation; Benefits and Employee Recognition; and Employee Health and Safety.