Port of Everett Hires Bellingham CFO

Got a press release this afternoon from the Port of Everett announcing the hiring of a new CFO…

J Carter

John Carter grew up in Everett and returns as new Port of Everett CFO

After a nationwide search, the Port of Everett is bringing home Everett 
native John Carter to fill the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) post left open by the 
retirement of Karen Clements.

Carter, 58, grew up in Everett and his father worked at the Simpson Pulp and Paper Mill on the Snohomish River. Carter’s career took him all over the country throughout his early years and then back to the Pacific Northwest. When he had the opportunity to put his strategic financial skills to use in his hometown, he jumped at the opportunity.

“I am very excited to work for such a great organization, with such outstanding opportunities,” Carter said. “and, to do so in a place where I have deep family roots is an added bonus.”

Carter is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Washington state, is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Government Finance Officers Association, and an Executive Board Member of the Northwest Economic Development Council. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Central Washington University.  He comes to the Port of Everett from the city of Bellingham as their Director of Finance, which is an appointed position that manages a $250 million budget. Before that, he spent 18 years in the port industry as the CFO at the Port of Bellingham.

“John comes to the Port highly recommended for his abilities to blend financial management with strategic planning and investments,” Executive Director John Mohr said. “We have numerous opportunities at the Port of Everett, but these opportunities take strategic financing plans and analysis to realize. John is the right person to help us navigate this growth period, while still maintaining the high financial standards that we have earned over the past 15 years.”

At the Port of Everett, Carter will hold the top three port position, and he will report directly to Executive Director Mohr. He will be responsible for the Port’s $56 million-plus capital and operating budgets, its investment portfolios, risk management, bond issuance, and overseeing information technology. As CFO, he will also participate in union negotiations, lead staff efforts for the state and federal audits, and manage the Port’s industrial development corporation. Carter also has the opportunity to serve as the treasurer and auditor for the Port’s financials if appointed by the Port Commission.

Carter will start at the Port of Everett on August 12. 

More information about Carter
During the early years of his career, John worked in various financial/accounting positions for Sears, Roebuck and Co. After that, his career took him to Bellingham where he provided financial management and startup development for a $25 million software corporation.

He then transitioned to the CFO of the Port of Bellingham where he developed the organizations strategic and financial plans, started the economic development division of the port, which resulted in more than $300 million in private investment, and developed successful modeling techniques to assess the port’s capital projects.

Prior to coming to the Port of Everett, he served as the appointed Director of Finance for the city of Bellingham for five years where he managed the city’s investments, budgets, developed financial policies and led a citizen task force to prioritize improvements to city-owned facilities and infrastructure.

John is married and has four grown children.

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