Port of Olympia executive director extends medical leave through mid-August

Port of Olympia Executive Director Sam Gibboney, who first went on medical leave June 5, has extended that leave through mid-August, a spokesman for the port said Thursday.

Gibboney is now expected to return to work on Aug. 22, said Taber Lee, the port’s new communications and marketing senior manager. In her absence, Rudy Rudolph will continue in his role as acting executive director of the port, he said.

The Olympian reached out to the three-member commission for comment.

Commissioner Joe Downing declined to comment at length, other than to say that “employees are entitled to their medical leave.”

Commissioner Bob Iyall said the commission certainly respects her decision to take leave.

“Right now we are respecting her need for medical leave and counting on Rudy (Rudolph) to get us through,” he said.

Amy Evans Harding is the president of the commission.

“I wish her well,” she said. “I am thankful the port has a strong team who have stepped up to keep operations running, while she takes this time for herself.”

Gibboney has spent more than four years leading the port. Her first two years at the helm were relatively smooth, but the last two years have been much rockier, beginning with a vote of no confidence she received from about two-dozen employees unhappy with her leadership.

Some employees also received hefty payments to go away and a relatively new union at the port has repeatedly pushed for their contract to be settled. There also was controversy surrounding her performance review and those who were unhappy that she recently received a raise.

Gibboney was on leave when the port commission voted 2-1 to give her salary a 4% boost. Before the Port of Olympia, Gibboney was the executive director at the Port of Port Townsend.