PORT LEADERSHIP
Terry Umatum takes the helm at the Don Young Port of Alaska Leading through change
F or Terry Umatum, becoming Port Director of the Don Young Port of Alaska is more than a career milestone — it is the culmination of decades spent solving complex logistics challenges, leading people through change, and ensuring critical supply chains continue to move. Only months into the role, Umatum is already overseeing one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in North America while maintaining uninterrupted operations at the state’s busiest cargo gateway. It is a balancing act few port leaders will ever experience. “It’s not only about running a port,” he said. “I’m also overseeing a multi- billion-dollar modernization program while ensuring Alaska continues to receive the fuel, food and goods it depends on every single day.” The challenge is immense, but Umatum believes his career has prepared him well to meet it. A career built on logistics Before joining the Port, Umatum spent more than 26 years in the trucking and logistics industry after serving in the United States Navy. Those experiences, he says, shaped the leadership style he brings to the Port today. “The trucking industry teaches you that change is constant,” he said. “You learn very quickly that every day presents something different, and success depends on being able to adapt.” That ability to navigate uncertainty has proven invaluable. Construction zones shift daily. Hundreds of contractors move through the Port. Cargo schedules cannot stop simply because new terminals are being
Only months into the role, Umatum is already overseeing one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in North America while maintaining uninterrupted operations...
built. Every decision requires careful coordination between the Municipality of Anchorage, engineering teams, terminal operators, fuel suppliers and construction contractors. “It really comes down to solving problems,” Umatum said. “You tackle the issue in front of you, see it through, find the solution, and then move to the next challenge.” His time in the Navy also provided unexpected experience that translates directly to his current role. As a machinist’s mate working aboard naval vessels during the first Persian Gulf conflict, he participated in fuel operations — experience that now informs management of one of the Port’s most critical responsibilities. Every month, tens of millions of gallons of fuel pass through the port, supplying communities across Alaska, military installations and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Safety comes first Despite the enormous scale of the modernization program, Umatum is unequivocal about his main priority. “Safety is number one.” The achievement he is proudest of since arriving at the Port has nothing to do with construction milestones or funding announcements. “In 2025, we had zero recordable safety incidents,” he said. “Nobody got hurt.” Maintaining that record while simultaneously operating a busy commercial port and managing
Terry Umatum, Port Director of the Don Young Port of Alaska
major construction has become the benchmark against which every decision is measured. The Port of Alaska serves 90 percent of the state’s population with about half of the consumer goods entering the state. Weekly container services oper- ated by Matson and Tote deliver every- thing from groceries and vehicles to building materials. Fuel vessels, cement carriers, barges and military cargo move through the facility throughout the year. Keeping all of those operations functioning safely while large sections of the Port are effectively transformed into construction sites requires meticulous planning. Building Alaska’s future The centrepiece of Umatum’s early tenure is the continuation of
July 2026 — PACIFIC PORTS — 21
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