Puyallup Attorney Coming to Port of Everett

The Port of Everett has announced it will not be filling the position of Deputy Executive Director following the appointment of Les Reardanz to replace John Mohr as Executive Director/CEO. Instead the Port has hired Steve Kirkelie away from the City of Puyallup. Here are the details…

The Port of Everett has hired Steve Kirkelie for the new Chief of Administrative & Legal Affairs position.

Kirkelie, who is currently the Deputy City Attorney for Puyallup, starts his new post at the Port on January 5, 2015. The new position was created to fill the legal role vacated with the promotion of Les Reardanz to Executive Director/CEO in November. The Port is not filling the position of Deputy Executive Director at this time.

As Chief of Administrative & Legal Affairs, Kirkelie will be responsible for handling the day-to-day legal activities (e.g. real estate, bidding, contracting, etc.), and also oversee the Port’s environmental cleanups, environmental reviews and human resources. Brad Cattle with Anderson Hunter Law Firm will still be the Port’s Attorney.

“The Port has bold plans to transform from an operational port into a strategic enterprise, and I look forward to being part of the team that implements this critical transformation,” Kirkelie said. “I am also excited to work on the environmental cleanup projects and real estate developments that improve the integrity of our marine environment and add economic value to the region.”

Kirkelie is licensed to practice law in Washington State and the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. He is a member of the Washington State Bar Association and the Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys. He earned his law degree from Willamette University College of Law and his undergraduate degree from Western Washington University in Political Science with a minor in Journalism.

He has spent most of his career in public service. Steve said he “finds public service to be challenging and interesting work.” Prior to going to work at the City of Puyallup, Kirkelie served as a municipal attorney, and spent a few years in private practice.

“Everett and the surrounding Snohomish County communities are great places to live and work and my family is excited to make this community our home,” he said. “I am also looking forward to working with the staff at the Port, who are motivated to achieve the Port’s mission of creating jobs and economic development opportunities.”