Jasmine Vasavada elected new president of Port of Olympia Commission 

The Port of Olympia Commission unanimously elected Jasmine Vasavada as president on Monday, Jan. 13. 

Maggie Sanders was elected vice president, while Sarah Tonge retained her position as the secretary. All three commissioners have been on the commission for a little more than a year after getting elected in November 2023. 

Executive Director Alex Smith explained to the commission that the president presides over meetings, sets its agenda and signs documents on behalf of the whole commission.

In the president’s absence, the vice president performs those duties. The secretary keeps records of minutes, motions and resolutions. 

Commissioner Amy Evans Harding nominated the three commissioners for their new roles. No other nominations were made. 

“I am super excited about our three new commissioners and the diligence that you guys have brought to this office and doing the work and making hard decisions. I'm excited about your leadership moving forward,” Evans Harding said. 

The commissioner also commended Bob Iyall, last year’s commission president. He was also in the same leadership position in 2022. 

In response to the nomination, Vasavada said: “I'm grateful for the nomination, and I will strive to run the meetings with the courtesy and kindness that I think both Commissioner Iyall and Harding have demonstrated.” 

The commission accepted public comments before finalizing the appointments. Resident Carla Wulfsberg questioned whether Tonge was allowed to serve as the secretary for two consecutive years. 

In response, the commissioners agreed that they don’t recall anything in their policy that would prevent Tonge from keeping her role.