Toshiko Hasegawa (front row, third from left) was surrounded by friends and family at the President's Reception earlier this month.
Photos Courtesy of Port of Seattle
Port Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa was sworn in as the Port of Seattle's Commission President for 2025. Hasegawa is a fourth generation Japanese American that was born and raised under the flight path in Beacon Hill and the First Asian American woman to hold this office.
The well-attended President’s Reception demonstrated Hasegawa's commitments to equity, as well as strong links between the history and future of the Port of Seattle and the surrounding communities. While honoring the past, including SEA’s recent recognition as a 4-Star Airport, the focus was on building a more responsible and sustainable Port for the future. The speakers and ceremony details reflected that commitment.
Daneca (Thalay) Tran was the first speaker. She is the founder of Global Chill, a land-based catering company, and a member of the Port Community Action Team (PCAT) who read her original poem at the ceremony.
The poem began with “From the micro to the macro” and explored themes of reflection on society and self and what responsibilities individuals have as caretakers and users of the land. And closed with:
“Connection is a resource, and so collaboration will bring us far,
Into the future, creative intelligence is a key solution to these raising questions,
So I hope, all in all,
We understand the great importance of our relations.”
On Jan. 14, Toshiko Hasegawa introduced the Teal New Deal as the Port of Seattle's newly elected Commission President for 2025. Izzy Wang is a graduate of Seattle’s Garfield High School, currently studying Urban and Environmental Policy with a focus on Public Health at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Before introducing President Hasegawa, Wang spoke passionately about the importance of community connections. “I am shown time and time again that, especially in crisis, solutions lie in the strength of our community,” Wang said. Stressing that, “our survival is dependent on our ability to work together and make decisive choices rooted in equity and love.”
Wang commended Hasegawa for leading with transparency and compassion. And said, “She has a practical and humbling understanding that we do this work with both our descendants and ancestors in our hearts.”
While many people recognize Hasegawa’s father, State Senator Bob Hasegawa, as a strong influence in her political life. President Hasegawa shared that her mother has actually been her greatest role model, saying, “She’s the smartest and hardest working woman I know.”
Future plans for the Port will include infrastructure investments that support the Blue economy by sea and clean energy to support the Green economy. “This blend of our green and blue economies is a Teal New Deal that positions the Port of Seattle and our region as a Port of the Future,” Hasegawa said. This will include finding a permanent home for the Coast Guard expansion, activating a two-berth omni-terminal that expands import export capabilities, proposing a green cargo corridor, and piloting an ammonia-based cruise ship.
Hasegawa closed her remarks with a personal statement about her children, saying that what she wants most is for her babies to be happy, healthy, and autonomous. Adding that her goals as a mother strongly inform her positions as a policy maker, and that her wish extends to all of the people touched by the Port of Seattle. And, “As President, I will use every inch of my platform and privilege to be a relentless advocate for civil rights and social justice.”