Template revised January 10, 2019.
COMMISSION
AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Item No.
11a
BRIEFING ITEM
Date of Meeting
June 9, 2026
DATE : May 21, 2026
TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director
FROM: Pearse Edwards, Sr. Director External Relations
Sally del Fierro, Director, Community Engagement
Charmila Ajmera, Sr. Program Manager, Duwamish Valley Engagement
Jose Chibertoni, Sr. Program Manager, Maritime Environmental Engagement
SUBJECT: Briefing on Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program and 3-Year Strategic Plan
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This presentation will provide a three-year milestone update on implementation of Resolution
3767, the Duwamish Valley Community Benefits Commitment Policy Directive that guides
implementation of the Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program and other Port operations
that impact the Duwamish Valley Community. The presentation will provide an overview of the
2026-2029 Strategic Plan that has been developed in partnership with the community. The Port’s
commitment in the Duwamish Valley connects to the Century Agenda goals to: Responsibly invest
in the economic growth of the region and all its communities; Be the greenest and most energy-
efficient port in North America; Become a model for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; and Be a
Highly Effective Public Agency. The Port recognizes that the near-port neighborhoods of South
Park and Georgetown, along the Duwamish River, have been historically and are currently
impacted by economic, racial and environmental injustices with disproportionate exposure to air
pollution, lack of greenspace, and high poverty rates contributing to a lower life expectancy rate
than other parts of Seattle.
Program Summary
In December 2019 the Port of Seale Commission approved its long-term commitment to
equitable investment and engagement in the Duwamish Valley through the adopon of Resoluon 3767,
establishing the Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program (DVCEP) and the Duwamish Valley
Community Benefits Commitment (CBC). The purpose of the Policy Direcve is to guide the
implementaon of the DVCEP and other port operaons that impact the historically disadvantaged
Duwamish Valley Community. The CBC enables the Port of Seale to advance its mission to promote
economic opportunity and quality of life in the region by advancing trade, travel, commerce, and job
creaon in an equitable, accountable, and environmentally responsible manner. The Port’s partnership
with the community’s advisory group, the Port Community Acon Team (PCAT), will ensure the DVCEP
achieves three shared goals:
COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a Page 2 of 5
Meeting Date: June 9, 2026
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
Goal 1: community and port capacity building for ongoing collaboraon
Goal 2: healthy environment and communies
Goal 3: economic prosperity in place
Duwamish Valley Port Community Action Team (PCAT)
The Port Community Acon Team (PCAT) is the community-convened advisory group established in 2017
through a U.S. EPA Port-Community Collaboraon technical assistance grant. The group consists of
Duwamish Valley community members that engage with the Port in collaborave acon, consultaon, and
strategic planning in order to address historical and current disproporonate, cumulave impacts affecng
the Duwamish Valley community. The first cohort of PCAT members (acve 2019-2023) co-wrote
Resoluon 3767, with Port staff, which the Commission unanimously adopted in December 2019.
The current PCAT cohort (acve 2023-present) consists of eleven members who live, work, play or pray in
the Duwamish Valley and have deep, individual es to the community. PCAT members are acvely engaged
in mulple Port projects, programs, and iniaves that impact the Duwamish Valley and serve as a bridge
between the community and the Port. They have been deeply involved in the co-creaon of the 2026-
2029 DVCEP Strategic Plan and will be instrumental partners in its implementaon.
Duwamish River Community Hub (DRCH)
The Port is invesng in a physical space in the Duwamish Valley as a crical nexus to implement
the commitments outlined in Res. 3767, leasing the Duwamish River Community Hub (DRCH)
since August 2021. The DRCH is a place-based economic development center for the community
to readily access workforce development resources, youth programming, informaon about Port-
led restoraon and cleanup efforts in the Duwamish Valley, and as a gathering space for
community meengs and events that support the CBC goals. Acvies at the DRCH align with
Port-related industries and career sectors in marime, aviaon, economic development,
workforce development, and environment and sustainability. To date, the DRCH has hosted over
1,000 events serving community members of various age groups, ethnicies, and language
abilies. The range of event types have included: technical support for high school youth applying
for the Port internship posions, cruise and marime career fairs, community-led construcon
trades informaon and recruitment fairs, trainings on green jobs and Duwamish River
stewardship, Marime High School field visits, small business development seminars and much
more.
2022-2025 Program Accomplishments
Since the CBC was passed, the DVCEP has evolved, matured and delivered tangible results to further the
goals outlined in the policy direcve. Some of the major milestones for the Port, our partners and the
DVCEP.
• Duwamish Valley Green Jobs Program, in partnership with OEDI, Marime Environment and
Sustainability, Dirt Corps Coalion and Duwamish Valley Youth Corps, served 44 youth and 43
adults between 2020 – 2024 in paid habitat restoraon and green infrastructure educaon and
acvies;
COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a Page 3 of 5
Meeting Date: June 9, 2026
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
• The DRCH was acvated as a resource center during the King Tide Flood Relief efforts in South
Park in 2022;
• The grand opening of the Duwamish River People’s Park and Shoreline Habitat was
commemorated with a community-wide celebraon event in 2022;
• A new cohort of PCAT members was onboarded in 2023;
• A full-me Hub facility coordinator was hired in 2023;
• Duwamish Valley organizaons and community members were engaged in public input about
priories for Port parks during the development of the Port Parks Management Strategy in
2023-2024;
• Two former PCAT members were hired as FTEs on the Port’s Community Engagement Team in
2024 and 2025;
• A full-me Sr. Program Manager was hired, in partnership with PCAT, in a new posion
dedicated to Duwamish Valley Engagement in 2025.
• The Program hosted 786 events at the DRCH and supported 195 events and 39 organizational
sponsorships between 2023-2025.
• The fifth anniversary of the DVCEP and PCAT was commemorated with a community
celebration and video in 2025.
• Two new contracts for PCAT Community Capacity Building and Racial Equity Training were
established in 2025.
• The next iteraon of workforce development support was launched through the Duwamish
Valley Career Navigator Program in partnership with OEDI in 2025;
• The South King and Port Communies Fund was expanded to support economic and
environmental projects in the Duwamish Valley in 2025.
Through the dedicaon of Port staff, PCAT members, and community partners, the DVCEP has grown into
a robust and impacul program that offers and connects residents to a wide variety of resources and
opportunies in the Duwamish Valley and surrounding area.
2026-2029 DVCEP Strategic Plan
In accordance with Resoluon 3767, Secon 4B [Responsibilies], the program is planning for the future
through a comprehensive strategic planning process. The purpose of the strategic plan is to outline the
specific focus areas within each CBC goal that the Duwamish Valley community, PCAT, and Port staff have
idenfied as the most relevant and impacul to focus on for 2026-2029. The plan builds upon the
exisng foundaon of projects and programs to date, and channels resources to priories for community
need.
The DVCEP is implemented through coordinated collaboration across Port of Seattle departments, as
outlined in the CBC. While External Relations leads the program, each DVCEP goal is advanced through
shared responsibility and initiatives with departmental partners whose expertise aligns with the work.
The External Relations Community Engagement team also collaborates closely with community
members to co-design Port initiatives and programs whenever possible, solicit input on Port actions that
impact the Duwamish Valley, and gather ongoing feedback. The 2026-2029 strategic planning process
was co-created with PCAT and the Port Interdepartmental team, over 25 community partners and
COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a Page 4 of 5
Meeting Date: June 9, 2026
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
neighborhood groups and involved 30+ individual meetings, several PCAT-led community dinners and a
strategic planning open house.
Below is a summary of the 2026-2029 acon areas within each of the three CBC goals.
Goals Purpose/Driver Acon Areas for 2026 - 2029
Goal 1: Community
and Port Capacity
Building for Ongoing
Collaboraon
Building shared Port–Community capacity to
advance equity by supporng community
leadership, collaboraon, and data-driven,
inclusive engagement.
OBJ. 1: Build a comprehensive, language
accessible DVCEP Communicaons Strategy
OBJ. 2: Support PCAT organizaonal capacity
building for longevity and recruitment efforts
OBJ. 3: Expand use of the Hub to build
community and Port capacity
Goal 2: Healthy
Environment and
Communies
Supporng community-driven collaboraon
to address climate and environmental health
impacts by focusing on areas such as air
quality, truck traffic, noise, greenspace, and
water quality.
OBJ. 1: Clean Air and Climate Change
Educaon and Engagement
OBJ. 2: Port Parks and Habitat Restoraon
Engagement and Outreach
OBJ. 3: Duwamish Valley Cleanup
Engagement
Goal 3: Economic
Prosperity in Place
Partnering with the community to support
an-displacement and expand equitable
access to training, jobs, and economic
opportunies through efforts in workforce
development, recruitment, and building a
diverse, green economy.
OBJ. 1: Connued investment in adult
workforce development
OBJ. 2: Create a Youth Workforce Educaon
and Exploraon plan and program
OBJ. 3: Coordinate exisng Port resources
and partnerships to support small businesses
in the Duwamish Valley
OBJ. 4: Increase applicaons from and awards
to organizaons in the DV for South King and
Port Communies Fund opportunies
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING
(1) DVCEP 2026-2029 Strategic Plan
(2) Presentaon slides
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS
• October 25, 2022 – Commission briefing on Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program and
Duwamish River Green Jobs Program
• October 27, 2020 - Commission adoption of new park names for six Port-owned shoreline and
public access areas along the Duwamish River
• December 10, 2019 - Commission authorization of Duwamish River Green Jobs Program contract
solicitation and PCAT Community Capacity Building contract solicitation
• November 19, 2019 – Commission introduction of Resolution 3767, Duwamish Valley
Community Benefits Commitment Policy Directive
• October 29, 2019 – Energy and Sustainability Committee approves introduction of the
Community Benefits Commitment Policy Directive to the full Commission
COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a Page 5 of 5
Meeting Date: June 9, 2026
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
• May 28, 2019 – Commission establishment of Motion 2017-07, Duwamish Valley Community
Equity Program
• April 10, 2018 – Commission authorization for funding to continue EPA Pilot Project activities
with Duwamish Valley community members
