Economic justice is about recognizing the truth that we rise or fall as one community. This country is a beacon around the world because of the hope that it represents for a fair and just society where anyone can make it—we need to turn that hope into reality. For decades, towns and cities across the Puget Sound region and beyond have been forged by the strength of industry in the Port of Seattle.

The Port is the people who make it work. Just as the Port acts as a smooth transition point between sea and land, I am committed to removing the obstacles that block our people from progress. We must have a post COVID-19 recovery plan in place that ensures equity, safety, and long-term economic security for all. As Port Commissioner, I will work towards expanding public- private partnership to create career and technical education programs for maritime, aviation, and artisan trades. I am committed to increasing investments that will allow people to return to safe working conditions while ensuring the taxpayer dollars are used responsibly toward regional recovery efforts.

We have worked hard to make our region a welcoming place for those who seek a better future and are willing to work hard to achieve it for their benefit and the growth of our community as a whole. Sea-Tac Airport is the entry point for most visitors and new residents to our state. I will ensure that everyone who passes through our airport can do so safely and without fear. I am committed to combatting the human trafficking crisis as well as protecting immigrant rights.

The diverse communities that contribute to the Port of Seattle have strengthened our economy and made King County what it is today. Xenophobia and ignorance drive communities apart, but we aspire to be a national leader by clarifying that civil liberties, economic growth, and national security can be advanced together without succumbing to a political environment too often driven by fear.

Here in King County, we can see how environmental burdens exacerbate barriers to health and safety, even decreasing life expectancy for people living in areas near the Port. The Cumulative Health Impacts Analysis of 2013 found that a range of health exposures and impacts disproportionately affect people in the Duwamish Valley, an area with the greatest number of contaminated waste sites, poorly built environment characteristics, and severe air pollution compared to the rest of Seattle.

The wildfires that ravaged the West coast this summer showed us that climate change, air quality, economic injustice, and COVID-19 are interlinked. Combating this reality will take honesty, accountability, and innovation. I believe that we, as a community, have the necessary resources and strength to overcome one of the most urgent challenges of our time, climate change. As Port Commissioner, I will commit to expanding the Port of Seattle efforts in transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy. I am committed to protecting our salmon and orca populations by restoring their habitats and working with the community and Port to ensure we create jobs simultaneously.

Labor and jobs – this is our economy. The varied beautiful faces we encounter daily – this is our community. My priority is to provide everyone in our communities with sustainable living wage jobs and strong collective bargaining rights. Working people are struggling to make ends meet, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has created immense suffering within our most vulnerable communities, and we must take action. By supporting workers through direct partnership and investing in job creation, we can expand protection for our community workforce, providing much-needed relief. We must defend the rights of labor unions, as they are critical to reducing inequality and the cornerstone of an economy that prioritizes the health and welfare of those who work the hardest.

With the impacts of COVID-19, it is vital for the Port to build an inclusive workforce that promotes a career-connected education, equitable access to employment and expands diversity and contracting for all. For us to participate in a highly competitive global marketplace at our highest capabilities, we must be represented by the full breadth of our community. Many have been unfairly left behind in the past decades, such as people with disabilities and youth. As Port Commissioner, I will take actionable steps to improve diversity and inclusion efforts at every level in partnership with Port agencies, businesses and community.

For the Port, stakeholders are both internal and external: everyone from the thousands of employees to small businesses, vendors, contractors, airport workers and the millions of travelers who pass through the Sea-Tac International Airport every year. When our most impacted communities cannot access timely and accurate information, they often cannot voice their needs and access public services.

As Port Commissioner, it will be my priority to bring robust cultural and linguistic accessibility to our services. As we work toward COVID-19 recovery, the Port must exert meaningful public oversight and make activities accessible and understandable to the public, so the Port becomes the model for open and transparent government.