One year after stepping in as interim executive director, Ethan Perry is settling into the role with a clearer runway ahead. Appointed permanently in May after serving in an interim capacity, Perry now leads the Port of Ridgefield at a pivotal moment as long-running cleanup efforts wind down and large-scale redevelopment plans move closer to construction.
“Ridgefield is such a cool place to work and to be a part of the community, working with the city, the county, Clark-Cowlitz Fire and Rescue, Main Street … working with (these) teams really makes the job fulfilling,” Perry said.
From intern to executive director
Perry’s rise to the port’s top job has been gradual, built over nearly a decade of hands-on experience inside the organization.
He began as an intern while attending Washington State University Vancouver, where he earned his undergraduate degree. With support from the port, he later completed a master’s degree and pursued professional certifications focused on port and public sector management. He is currently participating in the public port manager program through the American Association of Port Authorities, further grounding himself in the complexities of port governance and development.
Following a nine-month internship, Perry moved into project management and operations roles, gradually taking on more responsibility. As director of operations, he oversaw several major initiatives that shaped the port’s current footprint.
That included the construction of the Wisdom Ridge Business Park during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project involved developing two 20,000-square-foot industrial buildings on 3.5 acres despite material shortages and supply chain delays.
“COVID hit (during) construction. COVID was extremely challenging, not just because of health and safety, but because of getting steel, backup of materials, and then, really, the electrical side of things was extremely difficult,” he recalled. “But we prevailed.”
Today, those buildings are fully leased by the Ridgefield School District’s Center for Advanced Professional Services (CAPS) program, Cascadia Technical Academy, and two local businesses.
Perry also oversaw renovations to the port’s boat launch facilities, modernizing one of the community’s most visible public assets. Perry was later promoted to deputy director, expanding his oversight across environmental remediation, capital projects and day-to-day port operations.
After being promoted to the role of deputy director, Perry would be appointed interim executive director in early March last year following the resignation of former Executive Director Randy Mueller. The commission later removed the interim title and appointed him permanently.
The trajectory, he said, reflects both his own personal commitment and institutional support. Despite entering with little knowledge or experience in ports, Perry has become a port fanatic and loves learning how other ports function in far-off communities.
“Ports in general, I'm obsessed with ports. Ports are fantastic,” he said. “We belong to the Washington Public Ports Association. There are 75 ports in Washington state. We go to workshops and conferences with them. We really work well together. Ports are just fascinating.”
Decades of cleanup near completion
The port’s modern history is tied to the former Pacific Wood Treating Co. facility, which operated on the waterfront from 1964 to 1993. The creosote plant treated telephone poles and lumber, leaving behind significant contamination when it went bankrupt.
“They went bankrupt, came up to the port office, said, ‘hey, we're going bankrupt. Here are the keys. The creosote tanks might be leaking,’ and they were, so we love that,” he said.
Creosote, a chemical used to preserve wood, soaked into the soil for decades. According to Perry, workers even sprayed creosote on roads to control dust, compounding contamination.
Since the mid-1990s, the port has spent roughly $90 million, including millions in grant funding, cleaning up the site in partnership with the Washington Department of Ecology. Crews removed and treated soil and groundwater, installed a clean soil cap and established long-term environmental controls.
Cleanup extended beyond the port property. Testing found creosote contamination in nearby residential yards and rights of way. Last year, the port cleaned up 11 yards. This spring and summer, three more yards are scheduled for remediation, bringing the decades-long effort to a close. Perry said he looks forward to the conclusion of a lengthy cleanup process.
“I'm so excited that the port took this project on,” Perry said. “However, I'm so excited to move on as our mission is not just the environment, it's jobs.”
Beyond the historic cleanup, the port continues environmental initiatives. Through a Washington state Department of Transportation port electrification grant, the port installed three dual-head Level 2 electric vehicle chargers at Wisdom Ridge and is designing 12 Level 3 DC fast chargers for the waterfront.
The port also partners with the Washington Department of Natural Resources on derelict vessel removal. Working with marine patrol agencies, staff identify abandoned boats, follow a state-mandated process and remove them from Lake River. The state fully funds this process.
Oak Ridge and small business focus
The port is planning out the future of the Oak Ridge property, about a block north of Wisdom Ridge, where new industrial and small business space may take shape. A new road is being extended into the area and west of the port’s property, and eight 50,000-square-foot buildings are planned nearby through private development. On port-owned property, commissioners have directed staff to prioritize small business users.
The port is planning a roughly 20,000-square-foot building divided into smaller suites ranging from about 1,500 to 2,000 square feet. The total lot is just over 2 acres, with approximately 1.7 acres considered buildable after setbacks and site constraints.
The project remains in the planning phase. The port recently received about $75,000 from the Washington state Community Economic Revitalization Board to complete a feasibility study and determine exactly how the site can be developed. Early estimates suggest the building could support roughly 20 to 30 jobs, though Perry said it is too early for firm projections.
Meanwhile, the future of the historic Greely Building in downtown Ridgefield remains uncertain as the port weighs redevelopment costs against its economic development mission.
The port acquired the century-old building at 304 Pioneer St. in 2024 through a property swap with the Ridgefield School District, with early hopes of transforming the former bus barn into a multi-tenant marketplace with a commercial kitchen, restaurant and community gathering space.
Further architectural and engineering assessments revealed deeper structural and environmental challenges, however. Early estimates now place a full build-out between $8 million and $9 million.
“Our commission priorities are taking us back to our roots and focusing on economic development and job growth,” Perry said. “We really want to grow the (number) of jobs on port properties. Our mission (is) to focus on economic development.”
For now, the port is considering limited, temporary uses for the building while long-term plans are reevaluated. Conversations with the city and Ridgefield Main Street have centered on short-duration community events that comply with current safety standards, while preserving flexibility for a future redevelopment path.
Waterfront redevelopment: a 10-year vision
With environmental cleanup largely behind it, the Port of Ridgefield is preparing to move from remediation to construction, targeting a 2027 start for Phase 1 of its long-planned waterfront redevelopment. Perry said full build-out could take up to a decade, with the first two years laying the foundation for the district’s long-term plan. Palindrome Properties Group, the port’s partner in the Waterfront project, is still working through a planning phase and concepts are subject to change according to Perry.
Phase 1, expected to take about two years, includes installing all necessary utilities and infrastructure. Construction would include the port’s new office space, workforce housing, public parking space and a mixed-use building. A south portion of the future waterfront park’s gathering area would also undergo construction.
Over time, the waterfront is planned to evolve into a mixed-use district that blends economic development, housing and recreation. The full site plan includes a 58-room boutique hotel, an array of buildings that range in use from office/commercial, mixed-use and residential. The full site plan includes a park, with one active area including trails to the north, and the south zone for active play and recreation, including an amphitheater.
On the river side, long-term plans include further marina growth, extended docks and continued shoreline enhancements along Lake River. The port is also evaluating future dredging needs to maintain safe navigation. The full plan includes two kayak launches, one or both of which could include ADA accessibility.
Also at the Waterfront, the port’s popular osprey camera, a live stream at an osprey nest, is entering its third iteration.
The new upgrade includes a movable camera that can zoom and adjust angles, giving viewers a closer look at the nest. The previous fixed camera has been relocated to provide a marina view.
After an unsuccessful nesting season last year, Perry said the port hopes for better luck when the birds return this spring. At some point during construction, the nest will need to be relocated closer to the water during the bird’s migratory phase, but the port plans to keep the live feed active.
