Port of Everett CEO to resign in October
In a special Port Commission meeting on July 22, Port CEO Les Reardanz announced he would be leaving the Port in October to move back to Bellingham to focus on his aging parents and expanded military responsibilities, Port of Everett says in its news release.
Earlier this month, the President of the United States nominated, and the U.S. Senate confirmed, the promotion of Reardanz to the Reserve list for promotion to the permanent grade of Rear Admiral (Lower Half) in the Navy Reserve Judge Advocates General Corps (JAG). This promotion comes after Reardanz returned home from his fourth tour of duty overseas last year.
Mr. Reardanz plans to assume a new role in a private legal firm in late October focusing on port and municipal issues.
Reardanz took the role of Port CEO in November 2014. Prior to taking on the CEO roles and responsibilities, he served as the Port's Deputy Executive Director. Prior to coming to the Port, Reardanz served as the municipal legal advisor at the city of Bellingham. He was also the project manager for the city’s Waterfront District Development, which is a joint effort with the Port of Bellingham.
The Port Commission directed staff to move forward to contract discussions to promote the Port’s Deputy Executive Director, Lisa Lefeber, to the Port director role. Lefeber served as Acting CEO in 2018 when Reardanz was deployed to Afghanistan.