Port of Vancouver Executive Director Larry Paulson will step down in April 2012 and his deputy, Todd Coleman, will succeed him as the port’s new chief, the port announced Tuesday.
The announcement of Paulson’s retirement and the resulting change in leadership comes at a busy time for the port, which is building up its rail operations, preparing for Farwest Steel to build a new facility, and negotiating with Australian mining giant BHP Billiton to build an export operation to handle potash.
Coleman joined the port in 2001, serving as director of facilities before being promoted to deputy executive director in 2005. Before joining the port, Coleman was a partner in an engineering consulting firm, Coleman & Davido Engineering Consultants, in Estacada, Ore. He also held positions in Oregon companies URS Inc. and Parametrix Inc.