Scot Walstra, director of planning and development for the Port of Camas-Washougal, will leave his post at the end of today under a plan by the port to consolidate its economic-development efforts into a new partnership with the cities of Camas and Washougal.
His salary will be routed to a new nonprofit, tentatively named the Camas Washougal Economic Development Association, which will also receive funding from both of those cities.
David Ripp, executive director of the Port of Camas-Washougal, said the new group will neither overlap nor conflict with Clark County’s chief economic development agency, the nonprofit Columbia River Economic Development Council.
“We’re not taking anything away from CREDC,” Ripp said. “We’re going to continue to support that group as well.”
The Camas Washougal Economic Development Association will be expected to promote the east Clark County to employers, recruit companies to the area, create jobs and diversify the region’s economy, Ripp said. A priority will include attracting new industries to Washougal, which has traditionally been dependent on timber.
“Our big picture is to create and jobs and have diversification,” Ripp said. One key will be to get a handle on which industries are up-and-coming and should be focused on as soon as possible. “What’s next in line?” Ripp said. “You don’t want to jump in after it’s started.”
The details of how the agency would work and who would run it haven’t entirely been worked out, Ripp said. The port’s commission expects to issue a request for proposals- in January to begin hammering out those details.
Ripp said the agency could be run by a person who would act as an executive director or by a consulting firm. He said Walstra would be considered as a candidate to run the agency if he applied. Walstra declined to say whether he would seek such a position, saying he’s keeping his options open.
Walstra said Thursday he was surprised by the port’s decision and “saddened” to leave. Nevertheless, he said, he’s excited about pursuing other opportunities. He said he hasn’t decided what he’ll do next but that he’s keeping his options open. “My daughter wants me to go skiing.”
Port Commissioner Mark Lampton said the decision to eliminate Walstra’s position was driven by the port’s three elected commissioners and had nothing to do with the performance of Walstra, who Lampton described as a “good man.”
Instead, the decision to cut Walstra — who was paid a salary of roughly $82,000 plus benefits — is part of the larger plan to re-focus the port’s job creation efforts.
Walstra said “there would have been overlap” had the port decided to keep his position and also launch the new agency. He said the port’s decision was a “brave one,” in that the port is engaging in a “sincere and honest” effort to create jobs in a way that has the broadest possible impact.
Ripp said the total annual budget for the new economic development agency will be roughly $175,000 to $200,000, with the port chipping in about $100,000 and the cities of Camas and Washougal each kicking in an estimated $50,000.
Walstra began his job with the port in December 2007. His previous work experience includes 26 years with Northwest Natural Gas Co., where he took on a variety of jobs, including in marketing and business development.
Among the projects he worked on during his time with the Port of Camas-Washougal, Walstra was involved in early master planning for the port’s Steigerwald Commerce Center, 120 acres of undeveloped, industrially zoned land west of Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
Launched in 1935, the Port of Camas-Washougal has 550 acres of industrial land, a 79-hangar airport and a 350-slip marina, among other assets.
