Dec. 26—Growing up on the Long Beach Peninsula, Melanie Howard spent a lot of time in Astoria, both for work and school.
During that time, Howard said she had no idea the Port of Astoria even existed.
But now, working for the agency, she plays an essential role in guiding the Port's finances, marketing and more.
After moving away to Seattle for a decade, where she received an online accounting degree, Howard returned to Astoria in 2017.
She worked several jobs on the North Coast, but sought something that made better use of her degree. Howard, who is married to magician and magic shop owner Seth Howard, eventually took on a role with the Port in 2020.
Starting as a staff accountant, she worked her way up and now wears many hats. Earlier this year, she was named the finance, human resources and business services manager.
Under her responsibilities, Howard seeks to identify opportunities for improvement and increased efficiency across departments. One component she brought to the agency was marketing.
"Trying to educate the public about the Port I think is important because we do a lot and we are sort of integral to the community in Astoria because it's a fishing town," she said.
Howard hopes to reach people — like her former self — who know very little about the Port and what it provides for the region. Increasing transparency, she said, is also part of the effort.
"I just try to make sure that we're not doing anything just because it's the way it's been done," she said. "I'm really trying to make sure it's the optimized way to do it."
As for finances, Howard runs a three-person team, which she calls a "perfect trifecta." With the budget, she has tried to make it more user-friendly and aesthetically appealing, while also beefing it up with more information.
She credits Will Isom, the Port's executive director, who previously served as finance director, and Jim Grey, who recently retired, for their work in improving the department before Howard arrived.
"It wasn't too bad when I started, but I've just tried to take it up to the next level where we can be competitive with ports that really have their stuff together," Howard said.
The biggest challenge, Howard said, is the pressure that can come with a public-facing job and having to report to a commission.
"I haven't really run into any big snafus or conflicts, but it sort of weighs on you a bit, just the fact that what you do is open to scrutiny," she said.
But Howard also said she appreciates the dynamic aspect of her job.