Our Team

Our Team

Meet the Saltchuk Team

Our most valuable asset is the team of approximately 7,000 extraordinary people who work across the Saltchuk family of companies, including the Saltchuk Board and corporate home team pictured here.


Board of Directors

  • Brandon Pedersen, Retired CFO of Alaska Airlines

    Member of the Saltchuk Audit Committee and Compensation Committee

    Brandon retired from Alaska Airlines in 2020 after nearly 10 years as CFO and 16 years as a member of the executive team. He brings his experience as a public company CFO and a “Big 4” audit partner to the board in the areas of strategy, risk management, and governance. He is active in the Seattle area, serving on the board of Northwest Harvest, and as an adjunct faculty member at the UW Foster School of Business teaches about leadership and the role of the board. He earned his BA in Accounting and Economics from the University of Washington and is a licensed CPA.

  • Daniel S. Fulton, Ret. CEO of Weyerhaeuser Company

    Lead Independent Director, Chairman Saltchuk Compensation Committee

    Dan served as CEO and director of Weyerhaeuser Company from 2008 through 2013, when he retired after nearly 38 years with the company.  Prior to becoming Weyerhaeuser’s CEO, he served in a number of finance and real estate related positions, including president and CEO of Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Company, and president of Weyerhaeuser Realty Investors.

    During his Weyerhaeuser career, Dan served on numerous boards related to the forest products and homebuilding industries. He is an executive fellow and past chair of the Policy Advisory Board of the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, a member and past-chair of the Washington Roundtable, past-chair of the United Way of King County, and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington.

    Dan holds a BA in Economics from Miami University (Ohio), an MBA in finance from the University of Washington, and he completed the Stanford University Executive Program. From 1970 to 1974 he served on active duty as an officer in the U.S. Navy Supply Corps.

  • Denise Tabbutt, Saltchuk Principal Shareholder

    Chair of the Saltchuk Governance Committee

    Denise has served on the Saltchuk Board of Directors as the Chair of Saltchuk’s Governance Committee since 2007. She has also served on the Board of Directors for SeaBear Smokehouse since 1996. Committed to education and youth development, Denise joined the board of Seattle Nativity School, an independent middle school serving low-income students in the Seattle area, in 2020. She served on the board of Seattle Preparatory School from 2011 to 2018 and the Board of Trustees at Westside School from 2001 to 2013. In addition, Denise was on the Whitman College Board of Overseers from 2011 to 2015. She was named to the Board of Trustees for Whitman College in 2015. She also served on the Board of YouthCare, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending youth homelessness, from 2010 to 2014. Denise received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and French from Whitman College in 1987 and completed Finance for Senior Executives and the Executive Education Program from Harvard Business School in 2002.

     

  • Mark Sterrett, Principal at Makai Advisory Services

    Member of the Saltchuk Audit & Risk Committee

    Mark Sterrett is a Principal at Makai Advisory Services in Seattle. Mark brings to the board 15+ years of experience in corporate and commercial banking and deep knowledge of our companies as part of the Saltchuk shareholder group. Mark earned his BA in Accounting from the University of Denver, is a CPA, and has completed the Management Program at the University of Washington as well as the Corporate Governance program through Kellogg Executive Education. He is a board member for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Washington.

  • Mark Tabbutt, Chairman of Saltchuk

    Member of Saltchuk Governance Committee

    Mark began working at Saltchuk in 1995.  He served as General Manager of Alaska for Totem Ocean Trailer Express from 1996 -1999; President of Saltchuk from 1999 – 2007; and was elected Chairman in 2007. Mark holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Whitman College, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Puget Sound / Seattle University, and completed the Owner-President Managed Program, unit #32, of the Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Program.

  • Nicole Piasecki, Retired VP of Propulsion at Boeing

    Member of the Saltchuk Compensation Committee

    Nicole Piasecki retired from Boeing in 2017 as the Vice President and General Manager of the Propulsion Systems Division of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. During 25 years with The Boeing Company, Nicole held a number of senior roles, from Senior Vice President of Business Development & Strategic Integration to President of Boeing Japan. Nicole is the Chairman of the Seattle University Board of Trustees and a member of the board of directors of Weyerhaeuser. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Yale University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, which included studies at the Keio Business School in Japan. Nicole holds a single-engine pilot’s license, is married, and has three sons.

  • Paul Goldberg, Founder & CEO of Pure Audio

    Member of Saltchuk Governance Committee

    Goldberg is the founder and CEO of Pure Audio, Inc., a leading broadcast audio production facility in Seattle since 1996. For the past 13 years Paul has served on the board of directors for the Evergreen State College Foundation. He has served on the board of directors for TVW.org since 2006. Paul graduated from The Evergreen State College with a Bachelor of Arts degree; he later went on to complete the Executive Education Program at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. Goldberg joined the Saltchuk board of directors in February 2015.

     

  • Scott Anderson, Owner, Cedar Grove Partners

    Member of the Saltchuk Audit & Risk Committee

    Scott Anderson has been a principal of Cedar Grove Partners, LLC, an investment and consulting/advisory partnership, since 1997, and a principal of Cedar Grove Investments, LLC, a private seed capital firm, since 1998. Prior to founding Cedar Grove, Scott was with McCaw Cellular/ AT&T Wireless, most recently as Senior Vice President of the Acquisitions and Development group. Before joining McCaw Cellular in 1986, he was engaged in private law practice. Scott received a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Washington, magna cum laude, and a law degree from the University of Washington Law School, with the highest honors.

  • Susan Mullaney, Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group

    Member of the Saltchuk Governance Committee

    Susan is the former President of Kaiser Permanente Washington, a nonprofit health plan providing high-quality, affordable health care to more than 681,000 members in Northwest, Central and Eastern Washington, Coastal and Olympic regions, and Puget Sound. She served on the board of directors at the American Heart Association and the Oregon Hospital Association, where she served as board chairman in her final year. Susan received a master’s degree in Health Care Policy and Management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Connecticut State University. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She represents Kaiser Permanente at the International Federation of Health Plans’ Executive Development Programme, which includes a respected cohort of global healthcare leaders. Saltchuk welcomed Mullaney to the board in January 2018.

  • Timothy Engle, Board Member

    Member of the Saltchuk Audit & Risk Committee

    Tim is a member of Vistage International and currently serves on the University of Washington Foster School of Business Dean’s Advisory Board and the board of The Commerce Bank of Washington.

    Tim holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from Seattle University, an M.B.A. from the University of Washington, and completed the Owner/President Management Program of Executive Education at Harvard Business School.

    Tim served as President of Saltchuk from 2007 to 2019. Before that, he was a Director of Foss Maritime Company and held positions in the San Francisco and Seattle offices. He also worked for TOTE Maritime Alaska for three years.



Corporate Home

  • Aaron Bowman, Senior Benefits Specialist

  • Alex LaFord, Senior Tax Analyst

    Alex LaFord joined Saltchuk’s tax team in 2023 as a Senior Tax Analyst. Prior to joining Saltchuk, Alex worked at Deloitte on their state and local tax team, on both income and indirect tax issues, and Bader Martin, where he focused on federal and state income taxes. Alex obtained both his bachelor’s in accounting, as well as his master’s degree in taxation from Gonzaga University. In his free time, Alex enjoys playing soccer, biking, hiking, and spending time with his two cats.

  • Alexa Juarez, Sr. Benefits Manager

    Before joining Saltchuk in 2019, Alexa spent four years as the Benefits Manager for Microsoft where she oversaw their U.S. health plans.  Prior to that she was at Esterline for 14 years, managing their heath, wellness, and retirement programs.  Alexa brings a wealth of experience in all aspects of benefits, including expertise in 401(k) and HDHP/HSA plans to the Saltchuk family of companies. She has a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Washington.

  • Amanda Huiatt, Staff Accountant

    Amanda Huiatt joined Saltchuk in November 2023 as a Staff Accountant.

    Amanda graduated from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington and worked in public accounting audit before joining Saltchuk’s Corp Home team. She holds a CPA certificate in Washington.

    Outside of work, Amanda enjoys exploring new restaurants, reading, and being outdoors.

  • Andy Aley, Associate General Counsel

    Andy Aley joined Saltchuk in October 2017 as Associate General Counsel. Andy came to Saltchuk after spending eight years practicing at Seattle-based law firm Garvey Schubert Barer, where his practice focused on advising both established and emerging companies on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, entity structuring, commercial contracts and general corporate matters. Prior to joining Garvey Schubert Barer, Andy was a law clerk to Judge Alfred T. Goodwin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, where he assisted in the disposition of both federal appellate and district court matters.

    Andy has been named by peers as one of Washington’s “Rising Stars” in Super Lawyers Magazine, 2013-2017.  Andy attended Western Washington University, graduating cum laude in 2004, and earned his JD from University of Washington School of Law in 2008, where he graduated with honors and was elected to the Order of the Coif. While at University of Washington, Andy served as a managing editor of the Washington Law Review.

    Andy lives in Kenmore with his wife and three children. In his spare time, Andy enjoys hunting for interesting craft beer and vintage stereo equipment.

  • Angie Kritenbrink, Risk Management Analyst

    Angie Kritenbrink joined Saltchuk in 2021, bringing with her fifteen years of experience supporting risk management information systems, data, and processes. She is also a PMP-certified project manager. In her spare time, Angie enjoys fiber arts as an experienced crocheter and beginning weaver.

  • Blaise Sinclair, Senior Manager, Indirect Tax

    Blaise joined Saltchuk in 2020 as the Indirect Tax Manager, where she supports the tax strategy and compliance for the Saltchuk companies in relation to federal excise taxes, state and local sales/use taxes, property taxes, and other non-income-based taxes.

     

    Blaise began her tax career at TrueBlue, Inc., working in the internal tax department on tax return compliance for federal, state, and international income taxes, sales/use taxes, property taxes, and VAT. After obtaining her CPA license, she spent 5 years in PwC’s State and Local Tax group, where she focused on helping companies and individuals understand Washington’s unique state and local taxes through M&A transactions, audit and controversy support, tax return compliance, and general tax consulting.

     

    Blaise grew up in the Pacific Northwest, primarily eastern Washington and Oregon. She moved to Tacoma in 2004 and lives there with her fiancé and pets (two cats and two dogs, at last count). She graduated from the University of Washington, Tacoma and is a licensed CPA in Washington. In her free time, she enjoys supporting the Seattle Sounders and the OL Reign soccer teams, stand-up paddle boarding, reading, gaming, and gardening.

  • Bob Figueroa, Manager, Internal Audit

    Bob joined Saltchuk in February 2023 as an Internal Auditor Manager, responsible for providing independent, objective assurance and consulting activities. Previously he was the Internal Controls and Process Improvements Manager for Saltchuk Aviation.

    Prior to Saltchuk, Bob worked at DaVita Kidney Care in Accounting, Revenue Operations, and Internal Audit. Bob graduated from the University of Washington in Tacoma with degrees in Accounting and Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA).

    When not working or spending time with his family, Bob enjoys golf, reading, cooking, and listening to music from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s.

  • Brenna Russell, Tax Manager

  • Brian Reid, Controller

    Brian joined Saltchuk in 2021 as the Vice President, Controller, responsible for accounting and financial reporting for the Saltchuk family of companies.  He was previously the Corporate Controller of Saltchuk Marine.

    Prior to Saltchuk, he worked at Esterline, a global aerospace manufacturer, in a variety of finance and accounting roles.  Brian graduated from Washington State University with a degree in accounting.  In his free time, Brian enjoys spending time with his family exploring the northwest and a variety of outdoor activities.

  • Catie Chandler, Facilities & HR Coordinator

    Catie joined Saltchuk in 2019 as a receptionist with over seven years of experience in the administration and reception field. Throughout her time at Saltchuk, she’s moved up from Receptionist to Facilities & Administrative Assistant to now her current role as Facilities & HR Coordinator, where she assists both the Office Manager and Saltchuk’s HR Director. Catie enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons in her spare time.

  • Christina Anderson, Senior Financial Analyst

  • Christopher Coakley, V.P. of Government Affairs

    Chris Coakley is based in Washington, DC.  He represents Saltchuk’s interests at the federal level and coordinates the companies’ public policy and political activities nationwide.

    Chris previously spent four years as vice president of legislative affairs for the American Waterways Operators, an industry association representing the U.S. tugboat, towboat, and barge industry.  For three years he served as vice president for AWO’s Atlantic Region.  Before joining AWO, Chris was a government affairs associate at the law firm of Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds.  For three years immediately following college, he worked in the office of Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO) in the House of Representatives.

    Chris received his Master’s Degree in transportation policy, operations, and logistics from the School of Public Policy at George Mason University. A graduate of Colby College, he also studied at the London School of Economics and was an intern at the British Parliament.  Following college graduation, he participated in the “Business Bridge” program in accounting, finance, and marketing at Dartmouth University’s Tuck School.

    Chris and his family make their home in Washington, D.C.

    email | (202) 650-6910 | 1000 Potomac Street NW, Ste 500 | Washington, DC 20007-3501

  • Christopher Smith, Sr. Director of Government Affairs & Strategic Projects

    Christopher Smith joined Salthuk in 2024 as the Senior Director of Government Affairs and Strategic Projects, where he is responsible for aligning Saltchuk’s growth strategies with federal, state, and local public policy initiatives and works with Saltchuk companies to structure and execute public-private partnerships and securing governmental approval and funding for capital projects.

    Christopher brings over 20 years of experience in transportation, logistics, and energy policy to Saltchuk, most recently serving as the Director of Government Relations & Corporate Communications for TOTE Group. Christopher holds an M.B.A. in journalism from Georgetown University and a B.A. in journalism from Georgia State University.

  • Colleen Rosas, Sr. Vice President, Human Resources

    Colleen joined Saltchuk in 2014 from subsidiary Foss Maritime where she served as the Vice President of Human Resources.

    Colleen’s professional background includes 20+ years of HR leadership in a variety of industries including retail, hospitality, manufacturing, architecture, and healthcare. Colleen joined the Saltchuk family of companies after spending four years with Swedish Health Services, where she provided strategic HR leadership for one of the largest physician groups in the U.S. Prior to joining Swedish, Colleen was the Director of Human Resources for a large architectural firm, with offices throughout the United States and China. She has had the distinction of earning “Best Company to Work For” designations in many of her prior roles.

    Colleen received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources Management from Western Washington University, and is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).

    In her free time she enjoys spending time with family, boating, and traveling.

  • Dave Stewart, Sr. Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Ethics Officer

    Dave Stewart, SVP, General Counsel & Chief Ethics Officer of Saltchuk, returned in 2022 from a year of public service in Washington DC, where he served as General Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Prior to that, Dave served as the Chief Investment Officer and General Counsel of Copper Leaf, a diversified family investment fund, and the EVP, General Counsel, and Strategic Advisor, Philanthropy for Vulcan, Paul Allen’s holding company. Dave graduated from Harvard College and earned law degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

  • David Karp, Managing Director, Alaska

    Dave began his role as SVP & Managing Director for Alaska in 2019.  Dave’s position is the only Saltchuk position based in Alaska.   He is responsible for collaborating with our Alaska companies on business development, public policy issues, philanthropy, and Saltchuk’s overall profile in Alaska.

    Prior to joining Saltchuk full-time, Dave served as the President and CEO of Northern Aviation Services and in various aviation-related roles since 2006.  Dave is a 50-plus-year resident of Alaska who was raised in Nome.  He’s married to Debbie they have four grown children.

    Dave is involved in multiple not-for-profit boards.  His primary passion is focusing on youth development and responsible natural resource development in Alaska.  Dave loves sharing the Saltchuk story, and our operating footprint with customers and Saltchuk employees when they come to Alaska.  Come on up!

    Saltchuk’s Alaska director focused on making a difference

  • Dianne Bouton, Senior Paralegal

  • Elizabeth Joy, VP Finance, Treasurer

    Elizabeth Joy joined Saltchuk as VP of Finance & Treasurer in November 2023.

    Before Saltchuk, Elizabeth gained broad finance experience through a career with companies such as Chase Manhattan Bank, Microsoft, Vulcan, and, most recently, Dell Technologies.  She has held progressive roles in banking, treasury, sales operations and finance, planning & analysis (FP&A).

    Elizabeth is a Yale grad and earned her MBA at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

    Elizabeth enjoys reading, skiing, and spending time with her family outside of work.

  • Emily Reiter, Director, Communications & Marketing

    As the Director of Communications and Marketing for Saltchuk, Emily helps share the story of the Saltchuk family of companies.

    She was previously the Director of Marketing and Communications at TOTE Group and Director of Communications and Philanthropy at TOTE Maritime Alaska.

    Before joining the Saltchuk family of companies, Emily was the General Manager of Business Examiner, where she also cohosted a monthly business television show, South Sound Business Report. Emily holds a B.A. in Communications from Washington State University.

    Emily is responsible for People of Saltchuk online magazine as well as Saltchuk’s Regional Corporate Giving Programs.

    email | 206.652.1129

  • Erin Kittleman, Senior Director, HR

    Erin joined Saltchuk in May 2019, supporting Colleen Rosas, VPHR, and the staff at the corporate office. Before that, she worked at Esterline, a global aerospace manufacturer, for 20 years in a variety of HR leadership roles at operating company and business division levels.  Before Esterline, Kittleman worked as a leadership trainer for Boeing’s Training and Organizational Development Group. Erin is an avid skier and triathlete, and enjoys spending vacations in Hawaii or Sun Valley.

    HR Director joins Saltchuk ranks

  • Evan Alayan, Strategic Investing Analyst

    Evan joined Saltchuk in 2023 as a Capital Analyst, supporting strategic planning, analysis, and other major growth opportunities throughout the Saltchuk family of companies.

    Evan is originally from Vancouver, Washington, and moved to Seattle for college. After graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in Finance, he joined Intel as a Strategic Capital Analyst in the Corporate Services organization, spending several years supporting capital construction projects globally before transitioning to Saltchuk.

    In his free time, Evan enjoys golf, weightlifting, and traveling. He is a movie fanatic and particular fan of Marvel.

  • Heather Vogler, Senior Director, Finance and Strategic Projects

    Heather joined Saltchuk in 2022. Before joining Saltchuk, Heather had a 20-year career at Nordstrom in Seattle, where she held various roles within Finance & Strategy, including a pivotal leadership role that developed and executed the entry of Nordstrom into Canada. She last served as its Vice President of Strategic Planning & Execution. Heather, a CPA,  attended Eastern Washington University, where she received her B.A. in Business Administration / Accounting.

    Outside of work, Heather enjoys spending time with family and friends and enjoying as much time as possible outdoors exploring and experiencing the amazing beauty of the Pacific Northwest in addition to visiting National Parks across the US.

  • Jason Clinton, Sr. Accounting Manager

    Jason joined Saltchuk’s Corp Home team in 2022 from Saltchuk Marine, where, since 2019, he held various roles in the accounting and finance organization, with his most recent role as Manager, FP&A.  Before Saltchuk Marine, Jason worked for 13 years in the accounting and reporting group at the corporate offices of Esterline, where he deployed and managed systems and process improvements and worked with their business units on complex accounting, reporting, and internal control items. In his free time, Jason enjoys golfing, traveling, and cooking.

  • Jason Lingg, Director of Infrastructure and Operations

    Jason spent seven years with Saltchuk’s energy distribution business unit, NorthStar Energy, as the IT Director before joining Saltchuk as the Director of Infrastructure and Operations in 2019. Prior to joining NorthStar, Jason worked for Compass Capital, Core Oncology, and owned his own business, Plateau Data Systems.  Jason received his undergraduate degree in Geographic Information Systems from the University of Idaho. In his spare time, Jason loves to golf and gets at least 20,000 steps (8.5 miles!) in per day!

  • Jeremy Buchanan, Senior Analyst

    Jeremy joined Saltchuk in 2022 as a Senior Analyst, Corporate Development, supporting the strategic planning, analysis, and execution of M&A, and other major growth opportunities throughout the Saltchuk family of companies.

    Jeremy began his career in Chicago as a Financial Markets Associate at PwC before joining as a Corporate Development Specialist at Accenture. While working at Accenture, Jeremy transferred to the New York office, which led to a role as a Senior Associate at a boutique firm specializing in cross-border M&A and special situations advisory. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Cincinnati with a BBA in Finance and Business Economics and is a CFA Charterholder.

    In his free time, Jeremy enjoys running, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

  • Jerry Richards, SVP, Chief Financial Officer

    Jerry Richards is the Senior Vice President and CFO of Saltchuk, with overarching responsibilities for accounting, financial reporting, treasury management, income tax reporting, and risk management across the company. He also collaborates closely with Saltchuk’s Chairman and President on acquisitions and capital expenditure allocation and approval.

    Prior to joining Saltchuk in 2023, Jerry held the position of CFO at PotlachDeltic, a publicly traded company based in Spokane, for a decade. He also worked at Weyerhaeuser for eleven years before that, including serving as the company’s Chief Accounting Officer for three years.

    Jerry hails from a small timber town in Oregon and attended Lewis & Clark College in Portland. He and his family are outdoor enthusiasts who call Western Washington home.

  • Jessica Liu, Senior Accountant

    Jessica joined the Saltchuk Corp Home team as a Senior Accountant in 2022. She started her tenure with our family of companies in 2015 in accounts payable at Saltchuk Marine. After completing her graduate certificate in Accounting with the UW Foster School of Business and passing the CPA exam, in 2020 Jessica joined the GL/Accounting team as a G/L accountant.

    In her free time, Jessica enjoys gardening, taking walks with her dogs (Potato and Tomato), and practicing yoga. She also enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.

  • Justin Hayworth, Manager of Finance & Strategic Projects

  • Karen Lewis-Doldron, Senior Treasury Analyst

    Karen, a native of St. Thomas (USVI), joined the Saltchuk Treasury team in 2021 after spending 13 years with Saltchuk’s international shipping business unit Tropical Shipping. She started her accounting career out of high school in the banking industry and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting at Strayer University. In her free time, Karen enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her family.

  • Karl Zanot, Staff Auditor

    Karl joined Saltchuk’s Internal Audit team in 2023. Before Saltchuk, he worked as an Audit Associate at KPMG Seattle. Karl is a CPA and hold degrees in Accounting and Finance from Washington State University. He grew up in Boise, Idaho and enjoys reading, climbing, cycling and walks.

  • Katie Johnson, Financial Reporting Manager

    Katie joined the Corporate Accounting team in 2022. She comes to Saltchuk from Saltchuk Aviation, where she spent two and a half years on the finance team, most recently as a manager in FP&A. Before joining the Saltchuk Family of Companies, Katie spent several years in public accounting in Anchorage as a Certified Public Accountant, primarily working in audit, where she worked for a range of clients, including construction companies, public entities, and Alaska Native Corporations. In her spare time, Katie enjoys reading, cooking, and skiing.

  • Kelsey Morgan, Director, International Tax

    Kelsey joined Saltchuk in 2022. She is responsible for International tax planning, compliance & reporting for all Saltchuk companies, as well as helping the team with M&A and special projects.

    Prior to joining Saltchuk, Kelsey was at Zillow for 5+ years, helping grow the tax team and most recently serving as Senior Manager, Income Tax. She began her career in public accounting in New York, working at KPMG and PwC. After moving back to Seattle, she joined Berntson Porter in Bellevue before starting at Zillow. Kelsey is a CPA and received her B.A. in Business Administration/Accounting at Gonzaga University and her Master’s in Tax from the University of Washington.

    In her free time, Kelsey enjoys spending time with her family and reading/listening to podcasts. She and her husband have two young kids and love to spend their weekends travelling, camping, or exploring new shops/restaurants in their area.

  • Kerri Bates, Corporate Administrative Manager

    Since joining Saltchuk in June of 2016 to support the Chairman and shareholders of Saltchuk, Kerri’s role has grown to include managing the professional team aboard the Thea Foss and supporting Saltchuk Aviation. Before joining the Saltchuk team, she worked in the Corporate Affairs Department at Nordstrom. She and her husband relocated from Texas, where she worked in the Legal Department at Michaels for 15 years.  Kerri enjoys the outdoors and exploring the Pacific Northwest with her husband.

  • Krista Williams, Chair, Saltchuk Continuous Improvement Council

    Krista began her career at Saltchuk as the Director of Continuous Improvement, responsible for developing and deploying a shared framework of improvement principles and methods across the Enterprise. While she continues to lead Saltchuk’s Continuous Improvement Council, her primary role has transitioned to Chief Operating Officer of the Logistics Business Unit.

    Prior to joining Saltchuk, Krista held a variety of leadership positions at Toyota North America and at Kaiser Permanente.  She is passionate about helping team members understand the unique value they add in serving customers and improving business performance.

    Krista supports several nonprofit organizations focused on international relief and development, orphan care, and family preservation.  She and her husband are the parents of two children who joined their family through international adoption from Ethiopia. They spend their free time together exploring new places, trying new things, and playing endless rounds of Uno on rainy Seattle weekends.

    Saltchuk Logistics VP drives Continuous Improvement

  • Lisa McQueen, Senior Director of Risk Management

    Lisa joined Saltchuk in 2015 from the Seattle-based office of Aon Risk Services where she was a Senior Vice President overseeing strategic property and casualty insurance brokerage program design, placement, and consulting services to a variety of national and regional clients in both the private and public sectors. Her expertise is diverse and has been oriented towards multi-national, complex risk management clients of various industry sectors, including ports, airports, supply chain logistics, marine, aerospace parts manufacturing, retail, banking, and technology. After joining Aon in 1998, Lisa had the opportunity to work with Saltchuk Resources in a broker-client capacity beginning in late 2007 until her transition to Saltchuk in 2015. She has over 30 years’ experience in the risk management and insurance field.

    As Senior Director of Risk Management, Lisa is responsible for overseeing the risk management strategy and implementation for Saltchuk and its six business units. Her key responsibilities include risk identification, risk financing and actuarial reviews, enterprise risk management, total cost of risk, due diligence for mergers & acquisitions, complex claims, insurance program design and procurement, and the strategic risk and insurance business partner relationships for Saltchuk Resources and its subsidiaries.

    Lisa received her B.A. in Marketing and Communications from the California State University of Northridge and has completed the Property & Casualty Insurance Certification Program at Pepperdine University.

    She and her husband both thoroughly enjoy all types of outdoor activities including (but not limited to!) golf, biking, camping, skiing, and boating. They love to travel, cook, entertain, spend time with family and attend the theater. Currently, Lisa serves on the Board of Directors for a local non-profit theater.

     

  • Mark Krone, Sr. Analyst, Corporate Insurance Programs

    Mark Krone joined Saltchuk’s risk team in 2023 as a Sr. Analyst, Corporate Insurance Programs.

    Prior to Saltchuk, Mark was a Risk Management Analyst for six years with Sierra Nevada Corporation, and before that, an Insurance Program Coordinator for FCC Services in Denver, CO. Mark works closely with Saltchuk business units, brokers, and others to help manage enterprise risk and corresponding insurance programs.

    Mark holds Risk & Insurance Industry Designations RIMS-CRMP, AINS, ARM, and CPCU.

  • Mark Tabbutt, Chairman

    Mark began working at Saltchuk in 1995.  He served as General Manager of Alaska for Totem Ocean Trailer Express from 1996 -1999, President of Saltchuk from 1999 – 2007, and was elected Chairman in 2007. Mark holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Whitman College, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Puget Sound / Seattle University, and completed the Owner-President Managed Program, unit #32, of the Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Program.  Mark is an inactive member of the Washington State Bar Association.

  • Matt Nichols, Senior Internal Auditor

    Matt joined Saltchuk’s internal audit team in 2022. Prior to Saltchuk, he worked for KPMG and PwC as an experienced audit associate. Matt is a CPA with a BA in Business Administration and an MBA from Drury University, where he was captain of the men’s swimming and diving team. In his free time, Matt enjoys hiking, golfing, and spending time with family.

  • Max Sinitsa, Senior Manager, Technical Accounting

    Max joined Saltchuk’s accounting team in 2024, where he supports Saltchuk’s family of companies on technical accounting issues that develop here at the corporate office and our business units. Before joining Saltchuk, Max worked at Expedia in their technical accounting space and at EY in their audit group. Max obtained his bachelor’s in accounting from Sacramento State University. In his free time, Max enjoys exploring new hiking trails, cooking for friends and family, and vegetable gardening.

  • Megan Henshaw, Insurance Manager

    Megan joined Saltchuk in July of 2016 as the Insurance Manager.  Prior to joining Saltchuk, she had a 23 year career as an insurance professional, including most recently as Account Executive/Client Service Manager with Saltchuk’s aviation insurance broking team.  Megan has extensive experience in Property and Casualty insurance and began her insurance career with a marine insurance brokerage firm.

    Megan has a B.A. Degree in both Geographic Information Systems and Environmental Studies, both from the University of Washington.  She has obtained the insurance designations of Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Certified Aviation Insurance Professional (CAIP) and is currently working on the Certified Risk Manager (CRM) designation.

    Megan, her husband, and two young boys love living in the Pacific Northwest and take advantage of the natural beauty by spending time in the winter at their cabin in Cle Elum, and during the summer at a family cabin on Bainbridge Island beachcombing and fishing.

  • Melissa Martinez, Sr. Mgr., HR Analytics & Payroll,

    Melissa joined Saltchuk Resources in January of 2015. She started in HR and payroll knowing that she could provide excellent service to all Saltchuk business units. Prior to Saltchuk, Melissa worked at Swedish Medical Group and Providence Health as Sr. Payroll Manager with a small staff plus account payables. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, camping, and riding quads out on trails or the dunes.

  • Michael Leichner, Managing Director, Tax

    Michael joined Saltchuk in June 2019 as Senior Director of Tax.  He is responsible for tax compliance, tax planning, and tax accounting for all of the Saltchuk entities.

    Prior to joining Saltchuk, Michael worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in Seattle for just under 12 years.  At PwC, he focused on privately-owned companies, both large and small, helping clients through complex tax compliance and accounting for income tax matters.  He holds a B.A. in Business Administration/Accounting and a Masters in Taxation from the University of Washington.  He is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Washington.

    In his free time, Michael likes to spend time with his wife and two children, supporting the UW, playing soccer, and enjoying craft beer.

  • Michelle Fabela, Senior Manager, Treasury

    Michelle joined Saltchuk in 2022 as the Sr. Treasury Manager responsible for cash management for the Saltchuk family of companies. Michelle came to us from Blue Origin, an aerospace company, where she helped to stand up the Treasury department. Prior to Blue Origin, Michelle worked as the Director of Treasury at Nordstrom, where she spent 12+ years in various Treasury roles.

    Michelle is originally from Seattle and attending Seattle University. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and exploring new places to camp in the Pacific Northwest.

  • Michiel Versteeg, Head of Safety

    Born and raised in the Netherlands, Michiel obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Nautical and Engineering Studies in 1995. He has an active Chief Mate’s unlimited tonnage license and a third engineer’s diploma. Michiel previously worked with Holland America for about 25 years. After his seagoing career, he was promoted to Deputy Director Compliance Programs and became responsible for Holland America Line’s Internal Safety Management System, Internal Audit, Investigative, Regulatory Compliance, Public Health, Fleet Training, and several other safety-related programs. He also acted as the HAL and Seabourn Designated Person for a period of 5 years.

    As of December 2014, Michiel took on the role of Senior Director, Safety Operations for the Holland America Group which included Holland America, Princess, Seabourn, and Carnival Australia.  In this role he oversaw the fleet safety/lifesaving operations programs, shipboard emergency response program, regulatory compliance including Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) 2006 compliance.

    Michiel is the VP, Safety for Saltchuk Marine and serves as the Head of Safety for Saltchuk.

    Michiel is a graduate of the University of Washington’s Business School’s Executive Development Program.

  • Mike Dannenberg, Sr. Director, Strategic Investing & Finance

    Mike is responsible for evaluating and executing acquisitions, partnerships, major capital projects, divestitures and the allocation of capital across the family of companies.

    Prior to joining Saltchuk in 2020, Mike held roles in both investment banking and corporate finance, gaining experience in strategic, operational, and financial planning, financial and deal analysis, business development, M&A, and equity and debt transactions.

  • Monica Evans, Receptionist

    Seattle native Monica Evans joined the Saltchuk team in 2022, bringing years of customer service experience to a new industry. In her free time, Monica enjoys baking, photography, nature, and spending time with family.

  • Nicole Powers, Senior Manager, Internal Audit

    Nicole joined the Saltchuk team in 2014 from subsidiary, Tropical Shipping.  She earned her B.S. degree in Accounting from The State University of New York at Utica/Rome, and is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and is Certified in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA).  Nicole’s professional background includes 20+ years of audit experience.

    Nicole lives in West Palm Beach, Florida with her husband, Ken and dogs, Rosie and Rocco.  In her free time, she loves photography, traveling, and volunteering.  Nicole served five consecutive years on the Palm Beach County Chapter of The Institute of Internal Auditors in various leadership roles, as well as five years as a member of The Palm Beach Toastmasters Club.  She also held various leadership roles and served as a member of The Junior League of the Palm Beaches where she was dedicated to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving her community.

  • Paul Morrison, CPA, Director, Internal Audit

    Paul joined Saltchuk in 2014 having been with Tropical Shipping since 2006. A graduate of the University at Buffalo, Paul worked as a controller and internal auditor before joining Tropical.

    Paul enjoys golfing, snorkeling, Broadway shows, and creative writing.

  • Paul Stevens, SVP and Managing Director

    Paul Stevens has been in the maritime business for more than 40 years.  In January 2017 he retired as President and CEO of Foss Maritime and moved to Saltchuk as SVP and Managing Director.

    Prior to joining Foss, Paul held various Marketing/Sales and Operations positions with Matson Navigation Company, rising to the position of Executive Vice President.

    Paul has a B.S. Degree in Business Administration from the University of San Diego, and a Masters in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management.  He is also a graduate of the Senior Executive Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    Paul currently is an Advisory Board Member for California Maritime Academy based out of Vallejo, California.

    Saltchuk SVP, former Foss pres reflects on 40 years in maritime

  • Rose Laughlin, Office Manager

    Rose joined the Saltchuk team in 2017. She earned her BA in Comparative Literature from the University of Washington and has held various office administrative positions in banking, high tech and insurance.

    Outside of work she enjoys spending time with family, reading and getting out in nature.

  • Scott Mitchell, Senior Director

    Internal Audit Services

    Scott started his career with Saltchuk in 2013 after working in a variety of industries including telecom, manufacturing, retail and public accounting.

    Scott is a Seattle native and holds a BA in Business Administration from the University of Puget Sound and an MBA from Seattle University; he is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC).

    Saltchuk audit director hopes to inspire others to give

  • Sofia Schweitzer, Senior Tax Analyst

    Sofia Schweitzer joined the Saltchuk team as a Senior Tax Analyst in 2024.

    Sofia started her career in 2016 at Ernst & Young in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she was part of the Financial Services Office team, providing U.S. tax services for clients in the New York City area. After moving to Seattle, she worked in the corporate tax function at Trupanion, a Seattle-based pet insurance provider.

    She holds a graduate certificate in Accounting from the University of Washington and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (UADE).

    Sofia enjoys hiking, playing the piano, and trying new restaurants with her husband in her free time.

  • Sue Dolingo, Senior Tax Manager

  • Yesenia Velasquez, Senior Tax Analyst


Thea Foss

  • Abby Canfield, Chef

    Abby joined the crew of the Thea Foss in 2022. She has run Eat.Cook.Learn., hosting culinary experiences and adventures since 2018. Prior to becoming a freelance chef, she spent five years as Executive Chef at Agrodolce Italian restaurant in Seattle. Abby holds a Bachelor’s in Restaurant/Food Services Management from Colorado State University, and attended the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners. In her downtime, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and exploring the world’s culinary delights.

  • Alex Doran, Deckhand

  • Becky Selengut, Chef

    Author, instructor, speaker, and chef Becky joined the crew of the Thea Foss in 2022. After graduating at the top of her class from the Seattle Culinary Academy, she put in many years at some of the Seattle area’s most well-known restaurants including the internationally acclaimed Herbfarm Restaurant. A prolific and celebrated writer, Selengut has authored several books including How to Taste, Good Fish (a sustainable seafood cookbook), and Shroom: Mind-Bendingly Good Recipes for Cultivated and Wild Mushrooms. In her spare time, Selengut forages, makes a mean Manhattan, and shares her life with her sommelier wife and their lovably loony pointer mix.

    Thea Foss chef dedicated to preserving SCA, SMA for future generations

  • Billy Jarratt, Captain

    Billy joined Saltchuk in 2024 as the Captain of the Thea Foss. Billy was a Captain and Engineer of three different 112’ Westport yachts and a 40meter Westport over the years. During his time on these vessels, he’s sailed through the Canadian Gulf Islands, San Juan Islands, and Southeastern Alaska, as well as in the Pacific Northwest, Bahamas, Caribbean, Cuban, and the Fort Lauderdale, Miami area – transporting yachts through the Panama Canal twice. His experience alone speaks to his love of being on the water.

  • Christie Biddle, Steward/MedPIC

  • Jimmy Luper, Engineer

    Jimmy joined Saltchuk in early 2022 and brings a passion for historical preservation through operating antique equipment – with a particular fondness for the sea.

    Prior to Saltchuk, Jimmy spent three years as Chief Engineer and Project Manager for Pacific Catalyst, which operates two antique yachts in the Alaska charter business. He has sailed between Baja and SE Alaska multiple times and has explored many places in between.

    Jimmy graduated from Colorado State University with a BS in Chemistry and holds a USCG Master 100T license. In his free time, Jimmy enjoys working on his own boat, driving his Model A Ford, snuggling with the critters and the sweetie, and taking on life’s adventures.

  • Mark Maddock, Asst. Enginer, Deckhand

    Mark first set foot on the historic Thea Foss more than 40 years ago when his father, a Foss executive, brought him aboard. About the time his father retired in the 1970’s, Mark began as a part-time deckhand for Foss, coming aboard the Thea Foss full-time in the mid-1990s.

    Thea Foss deckhand dedicated to making every trip memorable


Corporate Aviation

  • Michael Youens, Captain

    Michael joined the Saltchuk Corporate Aviation team as Captain in 2022. With safety always at the forefront, he began his Aviation career in 2006 piloting corporate and charter aircraft for private owners. He then worked for several years for an aircraft manufacturer, holding roles ranging from Demonstration Pilot, flying a variety of certified and experimental pre-production aircraft, to Chief Pilot and Director of Operations, including multiple years based in the United Kingdom overseeing Europe-based flight operations. In 2018 he returned to the PNW as a Captain for a private corporation. Michael holds a BS in Aviation from the University of Oklahoma, an MBA from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, is a Certified Flight Instructor, and is pursuing his National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Certified Aviation Manager accreditation. In his free time, he enjoys sailing and the outdoors.

  • Steve Werthwein, Maintenance Manager

    Steve joined Saltchuk’s Corporate Aviation Team as Maintenance Manager in 2021, relocating to Seattle from Texas.  Steve is an accomplished senior aviation administration and operations management professional with over 10 years of aircraft maintenance, parts, and inventory control, customer relations, and business operations expertise. He brings a wealth of experience to the Saltchuk Corporate Aviation team, having managed multiple long-range aircraft to global destinations. Steve holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Tampa and is a licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic. In his free time, he enjoys the outdoors and time with family.


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