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Record of Proceedings

Work Session: Confirmation Hearing for Port Director Appointee - December 11, 2025

Assembly & Committee Meetings — Thursday, December 11, 2025
BodyAnchorage, Alaska
SessionAssembly & Committee Meetings
DateThursday, December 11, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Just because there's no reason not to other than we could use more people.

0:05

Um, good afternoon, everybody.

0:09

We're here for a work session on confirmation hearing executive appointment and 909-2025.

0:17

Port director, Terry Amitam.

0:19

It's 1221 p.m.

0:21

on December 11th.

0:23

We'll start with introductions.

0:25

Jared Gerker.

0:26

Christopher Constant on the phone.

0:30

Mr.

0:31

Myers, Scott Myers.

0:32

Thanks.

0:33

And we have from the administration of Mayor of France.

0:36

We have the nominee.

0:37

You got to speak into the mics.

0:39

And we have Mr.

0:39

Spoffer, the clerk, and some very staff in the back.

0:42

And so for practical purposes, the mic when the green light is on is hot, which isn't how you want it to stay unless you want to talk.

0:53

And with this, we usually start with an introduction by the mirror.

0:59

Thank you, Chair Constance and members for scheduling this confirmation hearing.

1:05

I am extremely pleased to introduce Mr.

1:08

Terry Ametum, my nominee to be port director.

1:13

Terry is coming to public service at the municipality after a whole career in the private sector.

1:19

He has over 23 years of experience working for freight forwarders, managing teams, budgets, logistics, and operations.

1:28

Terry has worked with the carriers at the port and with many of the largest freight customers in Alaska.

1:34

He has worked directly with port operators and terminal stevedors.

1:39

I feel so fortunate that Terry wanted to come work at the municipality and take on this critical position, not just for our community, but for all of Alaska.

1:50

His business background, community connections, and budgeting experience will be tremendously helpful as we continue to execute the Don Young Port of Alaska modernization program.

2:02

We have come a long way in recent years on the PAMP, moving the administration building and opening the petroleum and cement terminal.

2:10

I look forward to the next big step as we start construction on cargo terminal one next summer.

2:16

Terry has all the skills and experience we need as the port enters this next critical and exciting phase.

2:23

So before I close the mic or close, um, I do want to thank Mike Abbott for his service as uh acting interim port director.

2:34

Mike, thank you for stepping back into public service and keeping a steady hand on the wheel for the port over the last several months.

2:44

Thank you, Mr.

2:45

Chair.

2:47

Thank you.

2:47

I'd note the Vice Chair Anna Burley just joined us uh minutes ago.

2:51

And uh when you said next summer, did you mean 2026 for terminal one?

2:58

2026, right?

3:00

Mike.

3:01

Yeah, yeah.

3:01

The answer's yes.

3:02

So as an optimist, I'm not gonna call it this summer.

3:06

So um yeah, um, Terry, Mr.

3:10

Amitum, you have the floor.

3:15

Thank you for the kind remarks.

3:17

Uh chair, members of the committee.

3:19

Uh I've got an opening statement, I'll just read.

3:21

Um, thank you for the opportunity to be here today.

3:24

My name is Terry Amitum, and I do appreciate this opportunity to be considered uh for approval for the port director position.

3:31

I was born and raised in Alaska.

3:33

My family moved here in the 70s when my father worked on the Trans-Alaska pipeline.

3:37

Growing up around people who built that project, shape my understanding of what major infrastructure means to this state and the responsibilities that come with operating it well.

3:47

Most of my career has been rooted in the operational and sales side of freight and trucking.

3:52

And when you spend that many years solving real logistical problems in Alaska, you understand that the port is not an abstract concept.

3:58

It's a daily variable that affects schedules, costs, and planning for shippers across this state and the customers and everybody that uses it.

4:06

Much of my work has involved coordinating between trucking, ocean carriers, air, rail, uh, and local cargo entities.

4:14

Those connections are what keep freight moving in Alaska, and the port sits at the center of them.

4:19

That experience gives me a practical lens on the operational expectations and pressures that customers bring to this facility.

4:26

When I say customers, I'm talking stakeholders as well.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Works█████████████████████████████████████████████64%
Public Engagement███████████████21%
Procedural███████████15%
Summary of Proceedings

Work Session: Confirmation Hearing for Port Director Appointee - December 11, 2025

This work session was convened to hold the confirmation hearing for Mayor France's nominee, Terry Amitam, for the position of Port Director for the Municipality of Anchorage. The session featured opening remarks from the Mayor, an introductory statement by the nominee, and a Q&A session with the City Council regarding his qualifications, leadership philosophy, and strategic approach to the Port's operations and the Port Modernization Program (PAMP). The session concluded with a scheduled follow-up for a final action vote.

Discussion Items

  • Nominee Qualifications and Background

    • Mayor France (Administrator): Expressed "extreme pleasure" in introducing Mr. Amitam, highlighting his 23 years of private sector experience in freight, logistics, and budget management, and his direct work with carriers and terminal operators in Alaska.
    • Terry Amitam (Nominee): Stated that his upbringing around infrastructure projects like the Trans-Alaska Pipeline shaped his understanding of the port's importance. He described his background in solving logistical problems for shippers across the state.

  • Leadership Philosophy and Challenges

    • Member Anna Burley: Asked about leadership philosophy and top challenges.
    • Terry Amitam (Nominee): Expressed that his philosophy is rooted in "consensus building" and surrounding himself with smarter individuals for data-driven decisions. Regarding challenges, he identified a "real lack of confidence" in the Port regarding management, operations, and communication among the public and the Assembly as the primary issue to address. He noted the need for increased transparency and immediate accountability.
    • Member Christopher Constant: Raised the issue of building a business case for the port and the perception that Anchorage residents are solely responsible for the costs.
    • Terry Amitam (Nominee): Argued that the "crux of the issue" is a lack of statewide understanding of the Port's importance. He stated that the city should not be solely responsible for funding, and a key goal is to communicate the value to all Alaskans to justify federal funding relief.

  • Strategic Initiatives (Funding, Military, and Staffing)

    • Member Christopher Constant: Inquired about securing funding from the Department of Defense (DOD) since civilian ports typically do not receive DOD funding, and noted the potential for competing ports.
    • Terry Amitam (Nominee): Expressed surprise that a "designated strategic port" is not currently receiving a DOD role, stating he will investigate this immediately. He affirmed his commitment to seeking all federal funding resources (DOT, DOD, etc.) to alleviate costs for Anchorage residents.
    • Member Anna Burley: Suggested the potential need for a consultant to assist the Assembly with project stewardship and succession planning for the aging Port staff (mid-50s average age).
    • Terry Amitam (Nominee): Acknowledged the importance of staff succession planning but noted his own recent arrival.
    • Union Relations: When asked about labor relations, the nominee stated he is "absolutely for" unions and not against them, though he noted his previous experience did not involve direct union relationships. He recommended meeting with the Building Trades Council.

Key Outcomes

  • Nominee Stance on PAMP Fees: The nominee agreed with the sentiment that the Port Modernization Program (PAMP) fee burden should not fall solely on Anchorage residents and aims to build a broader case for state and federal support.
  • Next Steps: The Council scheduled a follow-up meeting for the upcoming Tuesday for a formal confirmation action. Members noted this usually involves a performance action and optional symbolic swearing-in for the nominee and family.
  • Staff Engagement Plan: The nominee committed to attending safety meetings with longshoremen and initiating tours and meet-and-greets with the workforce to build operational relationships.

Meeting Transcript

Just because there's no reason not to other than we could use more people. Um, good afternoon, everybody. We're here for a work session on confirmation hearing executive appointment and 909-2025. Port director, Terry Amitam. It's 1221 p.m. on December 11th. We'll start with introductions. Jared Gerker. Christopher Constant on the phone. Mr. Myers, Scott Myers. Thanks. And we have from the administration of Mayor of France. We have the nominee. You got to speak into the mics. And we have Mr. Spoffer, the clerk, and some very staff in the back. And so for practical purposes, the mic when the green light is on is hot, which isn't how you want it to stay unless you want to talk. And with this, we usually start with an introduction by the mirror. Thank you, Chair Constance and members for scheduling this confirmation hearing. I am extremely pleased to introduce Mr. Terry Ametum, my nominee to be port director. Terry is coming to public service at the municipality after a whole career in the private sector. He has over 23 years of experience working for freight forwarders, managing teams, budgets, logistics, and operations. Terry has worked with the carriers at the port and with many of the largest freight customers in Alaska. He has worked directly with port operators and terminal stevedors. I feel so fortunate that Terry wanted to come work at the municipality and take on this critical position, not just for our community, but for all of Alaska. His business background, community connections, and budgeting experience will be tremendously helpful as we continue to execute the Don Young Port of Alaska modernization program. We have come a long way in recent years on the PAMP, moving the administration building and opening the petroleum and cement terminal. I look forward to the next big step as we start construction on cargo terminal one next summer. Terry has all the skills and experience we need as the port enters this next critical and exciting phase. So before I close the mic or close, um, I do want to thank Mike Abbott for his service as uh acting interim port director. Mike, thank you for stepping back into public service and keeping a steady hand on the wheel for the port over the last several months. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you. I'd note the Vice Chair Anna Burley just joined us uh minutes ago. And uh when you said next summer, did you mean 2026 for terminal one? 2026, right? Mike. Yeah, yeah. The answer's yes. So as an optimist, I'm not gonna call it this summer. So um yeah, um, Terry, Mr. Amitum, you have the floor. Thank you for the kind remarks. Uh chair, members of the committee. Uh I've got an opening statement, I'll just read. Um, thank you for the opportunity to be here today. My name is Terry Amitum, and I do appreciate this opportunity to be considered uh for approval for the port director position.

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