Neil Maunu takes over as executive director of the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association Aug. 7.

Heather Stebbings will leave the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association effective Aug. 4, Neil Maunu will replace her as executive director Aug. 7.

Stebbings worked for the association for 15 years, the last two as executive director.

“It really came down to the fact that the amount of time needed to really do the job full justice just didn’t totally match up with the amount of time I needed to spend with my family right now,” she told the Capital Press.

Stebbings has two small children.

She plans to work as a consultant and federal lobbyist. She hopes to continue working on maritime, navigation and agricultural issues.

The organization supports navigation, energy, trade and economic development.

Stebbings will continue to work with the association on a part-time basis this summer to help with the leadership transition.

“You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who cares more about PNWA and the Pacific Northwest than Heather Stebbings,” association board president Tom Kammerzell said in a press release. “We are grateful for her expertise and long service to this organization, its members and its partners. It’s been a pleasure working with Heather and we all wish her and her family the best in their next adventure.”

Stebbings thanked farmers for their partnership.

“It has been such a pleasure to work with the agricultural community,” she said. “The value they add to the discussion around the Snake River dams and infrastructure in general is so important.”

Neil Maunu

“I think the biggest thing for me is adding value to users of the Pacific Northwest and users of the waterways,”  Maunu told the Capital Press.

He grew up in Oregon and Washington, and lives in Vancouver, Wash.

He grew up fishing on the river system and crabbing off the coast.

For more than 16 years, Maunu led teams in the Pacific Northwest maritime industry, including at Kinder Morgan and Tidewater Transportation and Terminals. Most recently, he spearheaded the development of a soda ash export terminal at the Port of Stockton in California, as senior vice-president of operations for Denmar US LLC.

“I’ve built up this really broad level of experience that reaches a bunch of different areas,” Maunu said. “This is the ideal position that I can use all of that experience.”

Maunu said he’s excited to represent the association’s 150-plus members. 

His plan for day one is to jump in a car and make a road trip up through Washington to reach out, meet the membership and understand their needs and priorities, he said.

He’s excited to work with the agriculture industry again, he said. 

“They’re some of the best people I’ve worked with in my whole career,” he said. “They’re salt of the earth people, they’re straight shooters. I still have so much to learn from them.”

Maunu retired in 2020 as a lieutenant colonel with the Oregon National Guard. His military experience includes 13 years in the Oregon Guard, with more than seven years of active duty and two year-long combat deployments in Iraq.

“Neil brings with him a passion for our region and rich experiences in leadership, the maritime industry, logistics, federal systems, and the Northwest’s working waterways,” Kammerzell said in the press release. “We are pleased to welcome him as PNWA executive director and look forward to working together to keep our region and our waterways strong.”

 

https://www.pnwa.net/