WOODLAND — Nelson Holmberg was chosen to lead the Port of Woodland as its new executive director in a unanimous decision made by port commissioners at a public meeting Wednesday.

Holmberg, 43, who has served as communications manager for the Port of Vancouver for the past three years, was one among 10 candidates interviewed by commissioners.

“From Nelson’s information, it was apparent that he has a very high success rate in all that he has done so far,” said Paul Cline, president of the three-member commission. “He (Holmberg) knows the business. That was a strong selling point.”

Holmberg will report to work April 12.

In his new position, Holmberg will be paid an annual salary of $61,000, slightly less than his annual salary of $64,170 at the Port of Vancouver.

“It was probably the next step in my career growth. I am an ambitious person and I look forward to opportunities like this,” said Holmberg, a Vancouver resident who also ran in the November election as a candidate for the open Position 3 on the Vancouver school board.

Holmberg lost the election to Kathy Gillespie.

In his new position as the Woodland port’s executive director, Holmberg will replace Erica Rainford, who has led the port for two years.

Rainford, 27, announced in February plans to leave the position she has held for two years. A former real estate broker, Rainford has said she would return to private-sector employment.

Size is one of the major differences between the ports of Vancouver and Woodland. The smaller Woodland port has about 200 acres of light- and heavy-industrial property for development, compared with about 800 acres of developed industrial land at the Vancouver port, including its Terminal 5 development.

Woodland port tenants are served by Interstate 5 and rail service through BNSF Railway.

The Port of Vancouver is served by Interstate 5, BNSF rail service and the 40-foot-deep Columbia River shipping channel.

“Obviously, we hate to lose our good employee. But we definitely wish Nelson well,” said Todd Coleman, deputy executive director of the Port of Vancouver.

Woodland’s port is staffed by the executive director and one other full-time employee, compared with the Port of Vancouver’s approximately 80 employees.

Holmberg said “face-to-face” meetings will be his first order of business as the Woodland port’s new executive director.

“I’d like to meet as many people as I can, whether it’s residents or tenants. I think those face-to-face meetings are really important. From there, I will start to build the priorities of what projects to work on,” he said.

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