By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Representation and precedence. That’s what Hamdi Mohamed, the first Black woman elected to the Port of Seattle Commission and first woman of Somalian descent elected to public office in Washington State, hopes to advance during her tenure on the Port Commission.
Mohamed, a civil servant with more than a decade of experience fighting for small businesses and dignity for working people, currently serves on the Maritime High School Advisory Board where she plans to revitalize the Maritime industry by inspiring the next generation. She is also a policy advisor at the King County Executive Office and has served on multiple non-profit boards and as a regional organizing director for President Biden’s campaign.
“This is history in the making,” says Mohamed. “It’s an amazing feeling to become the first Black woman elected to the Port of Seattle Commission, and the first Somali American woman to be elected to office in Washington state. I believe, for our region to participate in a competitive global marketplace at our highest capabilities, we must be represented by the full breadth of our community. I came to the U.S. as a refugee, and my story is the American dream. I am excited to bring my lived and professional experience to the Port of Seattle.”
Mohamed came to America as a baby and was raised in the King County region. Seattle was her first port of entry into this country. She studied Law, Society and Justice at the University of Washington and went on to receive her master’s in policies studies and a Certificate in International Global Business from Harvard University.
Mohamed’s inspiration to run for office stems from her upbringing. Witnessing her mother’s work ethic working at the Airport, her family’s commitment to building a better life and giving back to the community.
“I live in South King in the heart of the airport community,” says Mohamed. “My family has lived throughout the region. I have lived here in Kent, Burien, Seatac and Seattle, so I bring a very strong regional perspective.”
“In fact, people don’t really realize this, but the airport is the Port of Seattle’s largest revenue stream, yet none of the five Port Commissioners live in South King County,” added Mohamed. “So, for me communities around the airport have long struggled with air and noise pollution and so I thought as a South King County resident it was important for us to have a seat at the table and I am prepared to be a strong voice for cleaner aviation fuels, strong installation programs, tackling ultra-fine particle pollution with our local community leaders and these are just some of the reasons I decided to jump into the race.”
In addition to environmental issues, Mohamed plans to advocate for more transparency, accountability and public participation with regard to the Port’s policies overcoming COVID as well as promoting equity in contracts given out by the Port of Seattle to minority-owned businesses.
“This is something that is really, really important to me in making sure that we are diversifying our contracting,” says Mohamed when asked about why she is so passionate about equity and diversity in contracting.
“Small business stabilization is very important me,” she adds. “I want to help establish the first ever Small Business Recovery Task Force to assess some of the existing barriers and examine potential solutions for small businesses that have been hit really hard by the pandemic and think that this is in connection with your specific question about diversifying contracting for businesses, building an inclusive workforce and expanding contracting.”
Mohamed says that she is excited to begin her work at the Port of Seattle. She has honed her skills for this moment, and she is appreciative of all the support she received in this endeavor and is ready to represent her constituents.
“Taking inspiration from our supporters, I will continue to listen, educate and mobilize for a Port that lives up to its incredible possibility for economic recovery and inclusive growth,” says Mohamed. “As Port Commissioner, I will work toward expanding public-private partnerships to create career and technical education programs for maritime, aviation, and artisan trades. I am committed to increasing investments that will allow people to return to safe working conditions while ensuring the taxpayer dollars are used responsibly toward regional recovery efforts.”
“This is a historical moment,” she continued. “I have become the first Black woman elected to the Port of Seattle Commission, the first Somali woman elected to office in Washington State and although I am the first, I am going to work hard to make sure I am not the last.”
