A recent farewell letter for the Port of Kingston’s executive director reminded me that we had never thanked his predecessor, Kori Henry.

I was fortunate to be a new port commissioner as Kori started up the executive director position and became responsible for all the port’s business, including our SoundRunner passenger-only ferry service.

With SoundRunner in mid-stride, Kori turned it to a first- class operation. In two weeks, a business plan and budget were in place. A docking strategy was worked out for Kingston, King County and Kitsap Transit ferries. Costs were reduced, doubling SoundRunner’s farebox recovery rate. She rode the boats, kept customers informed, got their input, and improved operations. Aggressively pursuing maintenance, she kept up reliable service.

Should Kitsap Transit resume the service, their success will have been built on what Kori accomplished.

Kori updated the port’s master plan and made it a reality. Acquiring properties needed for future development, she also rehabilitated them for immediate public use. That included saving the big boulder by the preschool by moving it to the port.

Upon the generous donation of the Kingston Hotel property, she cleaned up what had been an eight-year eyesore. Through public meetings and surveys, Kori developed a park design and then won a large, competitive grant to build it in 2016.

At our Seattle Boat Show booth, we found ourselves bombarded with compliments from boaters who visited Kingston, attributable to Kori’s motivation and hands-on leadership. She ensured the marina’s future by getting the technical work done and forging the federal, state, local and tribal relationships needed for replacement of our pilings, marina dredging and next year’s rehabilitation of our covered moorage.

Credit for our Christmas lights belongs to the volunteers who work nine months each year to create them. Besides pioneering this project, Kori and her kids built lights and she dug power-line trenches in the rain.

There’s more to say than words available. Leaders are best measured by what they leave in their wake. From a two-year perspective, I can see how blessed we were to have Kori. Her leadership has carried over to the great staff there today.

Walt Elliott
Kingston