Chamber Forum

Barbara Ivanov is the Director of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Freight Systems Division. Her responsibilities include developing the state’s strategic investment plan for the freight system, and introducing the plan to community and regional leaders to gain regional participation and support. She is currently leading initiatives to improve freight system operational efficiencies, build a data framework to monitor system performance, and develop a resilient freight system.

The Freight Systems Division also develops information and strategies to reduce the environmental impacts of freight movements, manages the state’s freight research program, and administers the WSDOT freight and passenger rail capital programs and operations.

Ms. Ivanov was employed as the executive director of the Kent Chamber of Commerce from 1992 - 2003.

She is a graduate of the Executive MBA program at the University of Washington, holds a B.A. in English cum laude from the University of Washington, and is a graduate of the Institutes for Organizational Management administered by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Ivanov’s current professional associations include serving as the chair of the West Coast Corridors Coalition (WCCC) Goods Movement Committee; the WCCC is a four-state coalition formed to prioritize and inform decision makers about regional and national freight system needs. She was recently appointed to the Surface Transportation Security Research Panel for the National Academies of Science Transportation Research Board (TRB). She is a board member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) Seattle Chapter.

She is a recipient of the Green River Community College International Award, which recognizes "visionary leadership in international connections." She was nominated for the Governor’s 2003 Economic Development Award noting ‘exceptional leadership’, and recognized by the Washington State Workforce Development Board in 2003 for developing best practices in the state. She was the first chair of King County’s International Trade Board, served as a board member of the 2001 Port of Seattle Harbor Development Strategy Advisory Committee (HDS-21), was a founding member of the Seattle King County Workforce Development Board, and served on the Washington State Chamber of Commerce Executives Board.

Andrew Wood, Deputy Director of WSDOT’s Rail and Marine Office, and Barbara Ivanov will speak on freight transportation issues including:

·Flooding and plans for I-5

·Rail projects and plans for the Chehalis/Centralia area

·Status of Tacoma Rail transfer of ownership to locals and the trail plan.

Forum will be held at 11:30 Monday, June 9 at The Aerie Ballroom, 219 S.. Tower Ave.