New Executive Director

Apr. 8—MOSES LAKE — The Port of Moses Lake has selected Dan Roach as the new Executive Director, port commissioners said at their meeting Monday. Roach served as a Washington state representative from Bonney Lake for 10 years and as a Pierce County commissioner for eight, according to Interim Executive Director Kim DeTrolio. Most recently, he served as the executive director of the Lake Tapps Association. He is also a licensed real estate agent. Roach attended the meeting via online video chat, and said he anticipated a lot of work to be done when he takes the reins Tuesday, April 16. "We've got the fire hose ready (for you to drink from)," said Port Commissioner David "Kent" Jones. Roach developed an appreciation for the Moses Lake area more than 10 years ago, when he worked with then-Reps. Janea Holmquist Newbry and Mike Armstrong on a rail project for the port. Rail is still a priority, Roach said. "A lot of these projects are pretty time-consuming," he said. "A lot of the funding was received way back in '15 or '16, but you've got environmental impact statements and right-of-way and everything else. So it's a long-term project, but we're moving on that one. I'm excited about that." Roach said he was surprised to see how much of the port's capacity filled up relatively recently, and he expects to put in a lot of work on infrastructure to accommodate the growth.