Kate Snider has been engaged jointly by the Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma to provide facilitation and project management services to support the formation of the new Seaport Alliance. During the Seaport Alliance due diligence phase, Kate is working with a 16-person team of senior staff from both Ports to produce the proposed Seaport Alliance Agreement and its supporting materials, for deliberation by the joint Port Commissions. Under the Seaport Alliance, the Seattle and Tacoma port commissions plan to unify the management of the two ports’ marine cargo terminals and related functions in order to strengthen the Puget Sound gateway and attract more marine cargo to the region. Where the ports were rivals, they now intend to be partners. This unprecedented level of cooperation between the state’s two largest container ports is a strategic response to the competitive pressures that are reshaping the global shipping industry. The proposed unified management structure will have significant impact to the economic health of the regional maritime industry.