PBS Engineering and Environmental Inc. (PBS), a regional engineering firm, has hired former Port of Vancouver USA CEO Todd Coleman as the firm’s port sector manager, where he will provide outreach to port organizations.
Coleman, who has a background in engineering, left the port in May after 15 years of service to pursue other opportunities in the private sector.
Under his leadership, the Port of Vancouver doubled its acreage, increased annual operating revenue from $32 million to $38 million, and completed a 45-mile rail expansion at nearly $80 million under budget.
“I really feel fortunate to have worked in the port community,” said Coleman. “It’s provided an invaluable knowledge base for the next phase of my career.”
Greg Jellison, principal engineer at PBS, said that when the firm learned of Coleman’s availability, they were eager to connect.
“Todd’s ability to steer through engineering and regulatory hurdles made him the perfect fit for the PBS team,” said Jellison in a press release. “Todd and I had worked together on previous port projects, and we remained in close contact over the years. So I reached out to Todd and discussed the possibility of bringing him on board as our ambassador to port agencies.”
Coleman said he jumped at the opportunity to join PBS not only because it represented a chance to get back to his engineering roots, but also because of the firm’s recent acquisition of HDJ Design Group, a local engineering firm.
“When I saw that PBS had acquired HDJ — and you couple that with my desire to stay involved in the port industry — it made a lot of sense,” Coleman explained. “PBS was really focused on the industrial hygiene, environmental engineering and natural resources component, and HDJ was really involved in the civil engineering, design and infrastructure component. You take and marry those two companies together and you’re really providing the services that the port industry needs. When I saw those two companies come together I was very intrigued… their services align so well.”
PBS President Guy Neal said his firm wants to work alongside ports by offering “solutions that balance compliance and growth,” and he said Coleman is key to reaching that goal.
“His background makes him an excellent advocate for port agencies,” said Neal. “He knows firsthand the issues that keep port managers awake at night – regulatory red tape, working within multiple jurisdictions and balancing development with livability impacts.”
In his new role, Coleman said he will spend most of his time at PBS’ Pasco and Vancouver offices, visiting with colleagues in ports across the state.
“Washington’s ports are more collaborators than competitors,” Coleman said. “It was pretty common to get calls from other ports about challenges and issues, particularly mid-size ports trying to expand. They all face the same tough issues and stakeholder groups with conflicting needs. They serve as sounding boards for each other.
“I’ve worked with these port managers, speak their language and understand what they face on a daily basis,” he added. “They do the work of private developers, but because they’re government agencies, they have a much broader stakeholder base. My goal is to create a bridge between the challenges they face, and the practical engineering solutions that PBS provides.”
Mark Leece, PBS’ principal and director of engineering, said that Coleman’s hire and the firm’s focus on ports is an important part of the company’s long-term strategic plan.
“Having a well-respected leader like Todd on board is not only a benefit to our port clients, but allows PBS to improve our balance of public and private projects,” he said. “In that respect, port work offers the best of both worlds, and we believe PBS can be a strategic partner with our port and industrial clients to assist them in successful growth.”
Coleman started his new position at PBS on Monday.
