Washington State Ferries Employee News

Watch the all-staff meeting recording from Wednesday, May 20.

Have an idea for this employee newsletter? Email WSFEmployeeComms@wsdot.wa.gov.

Read the August 2026 edition of Ferry Tales, the Washington State Ferries employee newsletter.

From plans to steel panels: Construction begins on our first new hybrid-electric ferry

On Aug. 5, we reached a milestone that has been years in the making. At Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Panama City, Florida, our leaders and project partners gathered to mark the steel cutting for our first new 160-auto hybrid-electric ferry.

With the first piece of steel cut, the ferry is officially moving from design into construction. It will be our first new ferry built in 11 years.

There was another important announcement that day, too. We exercised the option for a third new hybrid-electric ferry. That means three new vessels are now planned for the fleet, with deliveries scheduled for 2030, 2031 and 2032.

The steel cutting is a visible sign of progress, but getting here took years of work behind the scenes.

Over the past year, our engineers, project managers, operations staff and other teams have worked closely with Eastern Shipbuilding, Elliott Bay Design Group, Hill International, ABB and other partners. Together, they finalized the vessel design, technical requirements, shipyard preparations and contract changes needed to begin construction.

“After years of design and procurement, today’s steel cutting marks an exciting moment where all of the planning becomes visible progress,” said Deputy Secretary Steve Nevey. “These new hybrid-electric ferries will help us restore the reliability and resilience our customers depend on while building a cleaner, more modern fleet for the future.”

The new vessels are an important part of our long-term plan to replace an aging fleet and restore the capacity we need to provide dependable service.

Eleven of our 21 vessels have reached or are approaching the end of their planned 60-year service lives. Adding new vessels will give our system more capacity and help reduce the challenges that come with maintaining an aging fleet.

The new 160-auto ferries will also introduce a new type of propulsion to our fleet. Each vessel will have two diesel engines, two electric propulsion motors and large battery banks. They will be able to operate on electric power, a combination of electric and diesel power, or diesel power alone, depending on operating conditions.

The environmental benefits will grow as more terminal charging infrastructure comes online. We estimate that the new vessels and charging infrastructure could ultimately reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 75% to 95% systemwide.

The steel cutting took place in Florida, but this milestone belongs to people throughout Washington State Ferries.

It reflects the work of engineers designing the vessels, project managers coordinating the construction, procurement staff managing contracts, terminal teams preparing charging infrastructure and crews continuing to safely operate the existing fleet while we work to get them some brand new vessels.

For years, much of this work has happened in drawings, specifications, contracts, meetings and computer models. Now, there is steel being cut and welded at the shipyard that will eventually become part of our new ferry, the Wishkah.

That first vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2030, with the second and third following in successive years.

For everyone who has helped get the project to this point, Aug. 5 was an opportunity to see the work become real. The sparks from the steel cutting were brief. The work ahead will take years. But construction has begun and three new ferries will soon be on their way to all of us here in Washington.

Employee Recognition

Paddleboarder rescue highlights success in mentorship 

On July 24, the Kennewick crew rescued a paddleboarder in distress near Port Townsend. Thanks to their quick response, the person was safely returned to shore without injury. 

The rescue highlighted more than our crews’ lifesaving skills. It also showed the value of strong mentorship and hands-on training.

Capt. Jeffrey Reeves and Chief Mate Howard Cunningham mentor cadets from the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies, or MITAGS. That includes cadets Michael Montgomery and Joesph Dominguez. Michael was the one who saw the person in distress and raised the alarm to save them.

Jeffrey has been a steadfast supporter of our apprenticeship and cadet programs since their inception by creating meaningful learning opportunities for cadets and apprentices. Howard, who completed pilotage training alongside members of the current mentorship community, shares that same commitment. They are known for welcoming cadets aboard and go out of their way to help them learn. 

The paddleboarder reached out to us on social media to express gratitude: 

“This past Saturday started as one of the most beautiful days. The beach was calm, the weather looked perfect, and I decided to go out for a paddleboarding adventure. Not long after, everything changed. One moment I was paddling with no problem, and the next I found myself being pushed farther and farther offshore by powerful winds and unpredictable currents. I fought as hard as I could for nearly an hour, but no matter what I did, I kept drifting farther away. It was one of the most terrifying experiences I’ve ever been through. There came a moment when I realized I was in real trouble, and that I might not make it back on my own.

“Thankfully, I was able to flag down the ferry. I cannot put into words how grateful I am to the incredible crew. Within moments, they had a rescue plan in motion. I want to give a very special thank you to Mark (William Olson, able-bodied seafarer) and Ben (Flodquist, bosun), who came out in the rescue boat and brought me safely aboard. Their professionalism, calmness, and compassion in such a frightening moment will stay with me for the rest of my life. I also want to thank every member of the ferry crew. You didn’t just do your jobs—you gave someone another chance to come home. Because of your quick thinking, teamwork, and selflessness, what could have ended in tragedy became a story of gratitude instead.

“This experience reminded me just how quickly nature can humble us. What began as a peaceful afternoon turned into a fight for survival in a matter of seconds. The Sound is incredibly beautiful, but it deserves our deepest respect. Winds and currents can change without warning, and they are far stronger than we often realize. Looking back, I don’t know what I could have done differently in that moment other than being better prepared. Although I had a life jacket, If there’s one lesson I’ll carry with me, it’s that if you’re heading out on the water, especially alone, having reliable ways to communicate and signal for help beyond just a cell phone can make all the difference. To Mark, Ben, and the entire ferry crew: from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I will never forget what you did for me. You didn’t just rescue a paddleboarder—you saved my life.”

Thank you to the whole crew of the Kennewick for this great work and your commitment to teaching our next generation of crew members. 

Employee Spotlight

Qua’Shi’Lo’sia (Lisa Wilson) is our new Tribal Liaison. She comes to us with an extensive background in serving tribal communities and making connections with government organizations. She most recently served as Secretary and Councilmember for the Lummi Nation and as the Northsound Regional Tribal Liaison for the Washington State Health Care Authority.

She enjoys the relationship-building aspect of her work here at WSF and the true sense of teamwork. She is excited to use her experience and skillset to help move things forward in her role as Tribal Liaison. She says that patience and respect is key when bridging the divide between the Tribes and other government agencies. 

A member of the Lummi Nation and also the Wei Wai Kai Nation in Cape Mudge British Columbia, she is a graduate of the Northwest Indian College with a Bachelor of Native Environmental Science. For her Capstone project, she created a documentary “Time Immemorial; A Fishing History of the Lummi People.” This was her opportunity to highlight all of the work and sacrifices that her ancestors made to have what we have today. She says, “We need to know where we come from to do our share to help protect and preserve and pass down to our future generations.”

When not at work, Lisa enjoys spending time with her family, which include eight grandchildren. She loves to travel and work on projects around her new home.

What’s New at HQ?

2901 renovation wraps up, bringing teams together

Construction at 2901 is complete, with a new reception area, updated training spaces and reconfigured first and fourth floors.

In addition to reducing our monthly lease costs and saving taxpayers $4.5 million over five years, the renovation brings most teams into a consolidated shared space. This provides more opportunities for day-to-day connections.

With training rooms, reception, mailroom and staff from WSDOT’s Tolling and Active Transportation divisions all on the fourth floor, there office has more energy than we have seen since the COVID-19 pandemic. That is especially noticeable on days when entire department groups are in the office.

One of the first changes long-time employees will notice is that you no longer need to use your employee badge to get to the fourth floor. When you step off the elevator, you can badge directly into the hallway or enter through a new reception area.

Also new on the fourth floor are a total of four training classrooms, including a RADAR simulator lab. To make space for the additional rooms, many departments put in significant effort to clear out old files and remove unneeded items.

Our workspace at 2901 now includes 129 desks, 21 reservable conference rooms, five training classrooms, open collaboration spaces, seating areas and of course, some storage. Desks are allocated by department, but there is always a space to work if you have a laptop. There is a balance of open areas and quieter spaces, ensuring employees have places both to connect and to focus. 

To reserve a conference room, open Outlook and follow these steps.

For more details, including floor plans, updates and department move contacts, visit the Your Guide to the 2901 Floor Consolidation SharePoint site (must be logged into the WSDOT system to access).

Fall all-staff meeting set for Tuesday, Sept. 8

Our next all-staff meeting is set for noon Tuesday, Sept. 8. You can join the meeting via Zoom.

Deputy Secretary Steve Nevey and other Executive Team members will share updates on our summer service and new vessel construction.

Most of the meeting will be saved for your questions. You can ask them during the meeting or email WSF Employee Communications ahead of time.

If you can’t join live, a recording will be posted at the top of our Ferry Tales webpage. You can also find our last all-staff meeting there now.

We’ll also host two online community meetings for customers Thursday, Sept. 10, with the same updates. Advance registration is required to attend via Zoom at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Both meetings will cover the same material prior to taking questions from attendees.

Save the date! Employee photo contest starts Sept. 1

From Sept. 1-30, all employees can submit great shots of ferries, coworkers, our facilities or life at WSF to the WSF Employee Comms inbox. We’re looking for photos taken after Jan. 1, 2025, to keep things fresh.

There are six chances to win. The top five photos will receive prizes. Employees who submit one or more photos will be entered once in a drawing for a ferry swag bag.

The top five photos will be featured in our October edition of Ferry Tales. As a reminder, we may use your photos on social media, in presentations and throughout our regular communications. Photos that are clearly from 2025 or later will receive priority when awards are selected.

Summer interns share their experiences in terminal engineering 

Our iconic ferries play a part in childhood memories for many in this region. That’s certainly true for two college students interning in terminal engineering this summer. For civil engineering student Maggie Ward, entering her sophomore year at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, her first ferry memory is as a six-year-old running around on a Whidbey Island-bound ferry to be a flower girl in a wedding. 

For Blake Bundesmann, who’s entering his senior year studying civil engineering at Clarkson University in upstate New York, it’s riding with his family in their 21-foot tugboat loaded with gear to camp in the San Juan Islands. And riding the ferry to races as a member of his high school sailing club. 

Now they’re seeing ferries from top to bottom.

Marine Project Engineer Charlie Torres in our Terminal Engineering Department is guiding Blake and Maggie as they work on pile corrosion studies, scope emergency generators for Tahlequah and Shaw Island terminals, learn CAD software Open Roads and learn about the challenges for paratransit access in front of a very busy Colman Dock. On field trips, the interns have seen the heart of maintenance operations at Eagle Harbor, gone below decks on the Wenatchee and Tacoma, witnessed traditional Suquamish tribal song and dance at Colman Dock and joined new Tribal Liaison Lisa Wilson to tour the Mukilteo terminal. They’ve visited most of the terminals in the system. 

Maggie says a highlight of her internship so far was the tour of Eagle Harbor. “It was really cool to meet all the different people and hear about their work. It’s a different world there. They’re making all these custom parts for boats. And they’re all so passionate about what they do.” 

Blake echoes that enthusiasm for Eagle Harbor. “It’s a big infrastructure keeping this system going. There’s this remarkable amount of work that you never get to see that’s supporting the nearly two dozen boats. I went home and told my dad that I got to tour Eagle Harbor.” 

Blake says his friends are probably getting sick of hearing him talk about his time at Ferries and all he’s experiencing. One of his most surprising visits was with Ursula Sandstrom, who manages Complete Streets for WSF, the state’s requirement that our facilities provide access for users of all modes of transportation. “I didn’t know there was someone at Ferries who did that.” 

Blake says the internship has helped him narrow his career path a bit to something design related and maybe in maritime. “I want to work in the local area. I want to give something back to where I live,” he says. 

The internship widened career options for Maggie because it revealed new pathways she hadn’t previously known of. The people she met made an impression. “Everyone is one big family. And everyone knows each other’s families. People really care and have a lot to teach.” Of her mentor and tour guide she says, “I really appreciate Charlie’s passion for the tribal work.” 

“WSF is not what you would expect,” Blake says. “I have friends who’ve done DOT internships. Here, there are so many things I hadn’t thought about. No two projects are the same. Charlie has done a good job of showing that.”

Blake finished his time with us on July 31, and Maggie’s last day is Aug. 14. We wish them well!

Devastating wildfires across our state

Wildfires across the state, particularly in the Spokane area, have caused catastrophic damage. Many people have lost homes, remain evacuated or are otherwise affected, including some of our own employees. And even far away from the fires, many parts of the state are experiencing heavy smoke and air quality concerns. We ask everyone to be kind and understanding with each other and remember that several of us are in the midst of a serious, scary and stressful situation.

Wildfire smoke safety

As a result of the fires, we are seeing elevated smoke levels in many areas of the state. If you work outdoors, periodically monitor the smoke levels in your area using either the AirNow or the Department of Ecology’s Air Monitoring Network. WSDOT has a wildfire smoke safety overview (must be logged into the WSDOT system to access the link) which provides helpful information.

Wildfire and travel resources

• The Washington State Department of Health provides information about safety during wildfires.
• If you’re traveling in the east side of the state, please use our tools, such as the real time map, the WSDOT app and social media posts, to stay current on conditions and closures.

Behavioral health resources 

• WSDOT’s Peer Support Program (must be logged into the WSDOT system to access the link) provides a compassionate, listening ear to individuals who have been exposed to traumatic events and are experiencing stress. While not counselors or licensed medical professionals, the Peer Support Team is trained to confidentially listen and help guide employees to resources that may help.
• The Employee Assistance Program is a free, confidential program that promotes the health, safety and well-being of public service employees across Washington state. For emergency situations, on-call counselors are available at the Employee Assistance Program crisis emergency line, 877-313-4455 – listen to the voicemail prompts and press 2.
• Additional EAP resources: Dealing with the News of Natural Disasters, Mindfulness Practices for Managing Anxiety & Stress and Supporting Employees After Loss or Trauma

WSDOT/WSF logo wear store open through Aug. 17

Now’s your chance to get WSF logo wear or bags! 

The WSDOT logo apparel store is open for business – but only for a limited time. The virtual doors close at 11:59 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17. 

If you want the WSF logo, you must first click on your desired style of clothing or accessory, and then you can select the WSF logo. Only the WSDOT logo is available for all hats. Items purchased will be shipped directly to your home in September. 

This opportunity is part of the Combined Fund Drive, and 15% of each sale will go to the WSDOT Memorial Foundation, which supports employees who become disabled in the line of duty, surviving spouses and children of fallen workers and employees and their families affected by catastrophic injury or illness. 

What’s Up at WSDOT?

New deputy secretary announced

After a nationwide competitive recruitment, Steve Roark, our current Assistant Secretary of the Fish Passage Barrier Correction Delivery Program and former Olympic Region Administrator, has accepted the position of Deputy Secretary effective Tuesday, Sept. 1. 

Steve has been with our agency for 35 years, primarily in the Olympic Region and at Headquarters. He is an effective, inspired, mission-driven leader who will serve as the second in command, alongside Steve Nevey. Together, as members of our Executive Leadership Team, they will assist in the development and implementation of our agency’s strategies and policies related to our state's transportation system.

Training Times

Hull Inspection Tiger Team puts training into practice

We are taking a new approach to vessel coatings and steel inspections with the launch of our Hull Inspection Tiger Team. The team brings together employees from our Engine and Preservation departments to identify vessel maintenance and preservation needs.

In July, Yakima Staff Chief Engineer Chadwick Scott led two, two-day training sessions for 12 Tiger Team members. Each group spent one day in the classroom learning the inspection process. They spent the second day at our Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility, where they put their new skills into practice by conducting hull inspections aboard Issaquah.

Going forward, the Tiger Team will begin inspections when vessels arrive at Eagle Harbor. Their reports will give port engineers, staff chief engineers, Eagle Harbor management and preservation personnel valuable information to help plan and prioritize upcoming work.

By bringing together expertise from across departments and giving employees the training to take a closer look at our vessels, the Hull Inspection Tiger Team is helping us take a more proactive and collaborative approach to caring for the fleet.

Deck New Employee Orientation

Eagle Harbor employees complete fire watch training

Several Eagle Harbor Maintenance Facility employees completed fire watch training at Seattle Maritime Academy in July. The course teaches workers how to safely monitor hot work, such as welding, cutting and grinding. They learned how to spot fire hazards, watch for signs of fire and respond quickly if one starts. Participants also practiced using fire extinguishers, strengthening the skills they use to help keep themselves, their coworkers and our vessels safe.

Safety Matters

Ergonomics: It adds up

Ergonomics is about fitting the work to the person, not the person to the work. Most injuries don’t come from one lift. They build up over time through repeated stress on the body and they can happen in any job. Common risk factors include repetitive motion, awkward posture, forceful exertion, static position, contact stress and vibration. When these conditions add up, your risk for injury increases. Additionally, when lifting, weight is not the only thing that matters. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends a maximum weight of 51 pounds only under ideal conditions. That means the object is close to your body, between your knees and shoulder height, you do not twist while lifting, and you have a good grip. The further you are from these ideal lifting conditions, the less the maximum weight will be.

Discomfort that goes unaddressed can turn into a musculoskeletal disorder, or MSD. MSDs affect your muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments or joints. They often include strains, sprains, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome and lower back injuries. These injuries don’t just affect you on the job, they follow you home and affect your sleep, hobbies and overall comfort. Protect your body with a few good ergonomic habits and raise concerns early. When lifting or carrying something, keep it close to your body and lift within your power zone, between your knees and shoulders. Warm up with dynamic stretching (PDF 1.6MB) (must be logged into the WSDOT system to access the link) before a strenuous task and throughout your day. Reposition yourself or the work instead of reaching, bending or twisting to get it. Change posture or rotate tasks every 20 to 30 minutes to alleviate strain. Use carts, hoists, lifts or other ergonomic tools when available. Report any tingling, numbness or soreness early to prevent further injury. Also let your supervisor know about any ergonomic concerns in your work area.

Dispatch Replacement Project

Scan here anytime to visit the Dispatch Replacement Project SharePoint site (must be logged into WSDOT system to access). It's updated at least once a month with the latest project news. This QR code will also be included in every issue of Ferry Tales through summer 2027, when the project is expected to wrap up.

Nautical Numbers

Here are some numbers that recap what we did in July:

2,317,414 total riders

• 936,772 drivers (with vehicle)
• 1,380,642 passengers and walk-ons

75,445 service miles

300 medical priority loads/medevacs

2 lifesaving events

83 whales spotted

Welcome Aboard!

July deck hires:

• Alexander Brown
• David Dwyer Jr.
• Michael Marney
• Melissa Shenefelt
• Elliott Smith
• Joseph (Isaac) Tiessen 

July engine hire:

• Liam Robert Perry

July terminal hire:

• Charles deVille

July Eagle Harbor hire:

• Mark Reed

Lisa Wilson July HQ hires:

• Eric Chen
• Lisa Wilson

We’re Hiring!

Current job openings at WSF:

• Bridge Engineer 7
• Shipwright Health & Safety

Have an idea for this employee newsletter? Email WSFEmployeeComms@wsdot.wa.gov.