Jack Burkman sworn to Port of Vancouver seat

Longtime community government leader Jack Burkman was sworn into office at the Port of Vancouver on Monday.

Burkman begins his six-year term as one of three port commissioners on Jan. 1, 2020. He represents District 3 on the board. Burkman succeeds Jerry Oliver, who didn’t seek re-election, and joins Don Orange and Eric LaBrant. His annual salary is $9,600 for the commissioner seat.

Burkman said his goals for the port are to create family-wage jobs, improve freight mobility efficiencies and develop a skilled workforce, according to a news release from the Port of Vancouver.

Burkman worked at Hewlett-Packard for 28 years in research and development, then later served on the Vancouver City Council for 12 years. He served for 10 years on the Clark College Board of Trustees, and he also has been on many public and nonprofit boards including the Regional Transportation Council, C-Tran, Portland Metro’s Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation, Fort Vancouver Regional Library, League of United Latin American Citizens, and the YWCA Clark County, according to a news release from the Port of Vancouver.

The Port of Vancouver is operating on a $58.6 million budget for 2020. Overall goals for the budget include strengthening the port’s financial statements, finding long-term use of taxes and implementing a comprehensive maintenance plan, according to a news release from the Port of Vancouver. The port is also seeking tenants for its largely vacant Terminal 5. At Terminal 1, where WareHouse ’23 sits, a promising development is underway with the AC Hotel by Marriott under construction, the first of multiple new buildings set to rise on the property. A permanent market is also in the works for the spot.

Burkman beat Dan Barnes in the November election after winning 60 percent of the votes.

He and his wife, Sherry, have three adult children and seven grandchildren.

Burkman, who was meeting members of the port staff on Monday, said that “I’m excited for the opportunity. It’s a great organization that provides a tremendous amount of opportunity for the community.”