OLYMPIA, Washington—The Washington Public Ports Association (WPPA) announced on Monday, March 23rd that Martin Presley will join the staff as their new Director of Transportation and Economic Development Policy. His first day in the role will be April 13, 2026.
“We’re excited to bring Martin on board to complete our team here at WPPA. He will be an asset to our Association and to all Washington ports,” said WPPA Executive Director Eric ffitch. “Martin brings extensive experience working in the Legislature, having spent seven years as staff to the Senate Republican Caucus. As their policy lead on transportation issues, he has strong background in a core policy area for port districts. In his capacity as leadership counsel for the Caucus, he has also managed difficult legislative negotiations, balanced varying perspectives, and spent time learning his members. Those are key aspects of this role, and just a few of the reasons why we are sure he will excel at WPPA!”
Martin will lead WPPA’s legislative engagement on transportation issues, on economic development policy, on trade and on tax policy, among others. He will support the Association’s educational function as well, assisting in the development of conference and seminar programing and in updating guidance and resource documents that WPPA provides its members. And in line with the WPPA’s renewed focus on data collection and research, Martin will advise the Association on research needs as well.
Martin Presley has worked for the Senate Republican Caucus since 2019, first serving in the capacity as Senior Staff Counsel and policy lead on issues before the Senate Transportation Committee, before being promoted to the role of Leadership Counsel in 2025. In addition to transportation policy, Martin served as staff to the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee. He is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and received his undergraduate degree from Arizona State University.
Martin and his wife reside in Olympia, WA. He originally hails from Ohio, where his father currently sits on the board of the Columbiana County Port Authority. In his free time, he is an avid collector of vinyl records, spends Sundays playing club lacrosse, seeks to master the art of smoking brisket, and helps his wife morph their backyard into a garden oasis.
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As a state legislative and regulatory advocacy organization, the Washington Public Ports Association (WPPA) fosters public policy for ports to achieve their goals. The WPPA was authorized by the Legislature in 1961 to represent public port districts throughout Washington, serving as the focus through which ports work cooperatively to develop policy direction, share information, and address issues on economic development, trade, transportation, and environmental stewardship. Public port districts offer a wide range of locally governed services, including marine terminals, barge facilities, industrial development, marinas, airports, railroads, and tourism promotion.
