Washington State Ferries Employee News

Read the June 2025 edition of Ferry Tales, the Washington State Ferries employee newsletter.

Watch the all-staff meeting recording from Tuesday, May 20.

Have an idea for this employee newsletter? Email WSFEmployeeComms@wsdot.wa.gov.

Wenatchee returns to WSF, prepares for summer service

Crews, tradespersons and others are working hard to get Wenatchee back into service.

On May 28, we welcomed back Wenatchee to Eagle Harbor, making it officially our first hybrid-electric ferry in the fleet.

Wenatchee navigated dock and sea trials before sailing to Eagle Harbor. It operated using both diesel and electric power.

Now our team is focused on additional sea trials, equipment tests, training, maintenance and preservation.

There’s still lots to do to meet U.S. Coast Guard guidelines, ready the ferry for service and train our crew.

Thanks to our everyone working together, we’re making enormous progress towards putting the ferry back in service for summer.

Side-by-side photos of a ferry roof with rust on the left and a refurbished ferry roof on right. — Before and after photos of preservation work done on Wenatchee while it was being upgraded.

What’s New at HQ?

Steve Nevey
Deputy Secretary for WSF

You may have seen the recent “Let’s Talk About It” with John and me discussing Turning the Tide. Here's more information about this new initiative and how it impacts you.

With a need to pivot from an ego-based culture to being values-driven, putting people first, Turning the Tide is Empowering People, Improving Communication and continuing to focus on Service Excellence. It is our roadmap for success.

You'll see these goals and values in every job posting and job description from now on. This fall, once our busy summer season slows down, we’ll launch projects associated with these priorities.

For now, there are three simple questions that you can ask yourself at the end each day to help make WSF better:

Am I living our values in how I work and lead?
Am I making it easier for others to succeed?
Am I helping Washington State Ferries move forward?

Thank you for making WSF a place we can all be proud of. Questions? Email John Vezina.

Employee Spotlight

Twins smiling in front of a metallic cruise ship sign reading "KALAKALA." — **Pete and Sam Shelton**
Assistant Engineers

Pete and Sam Shelton are identical twins who help keep our ferries running smoothly.

They grew up near the water on Key Peninsula and started boating at a young age. Now, they work in the engine rooms on different ferries: Sam on Walla Walla and Pete on Chimacum.

Sam has worked here since 2014 and now trains new engine room workers. Pete joined in 2020 after working at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.

A recent blog post shares how the twins found their way to WSF and why they love being part of our team.

Your input is shaping Ferry Tales

Thank you to everyone who took our Ferry Tales survey. We heard a lot of people like the newsletter, which is great.

Most of you read the PDF/email version, so we’re exploring a new format to fit everything in one place.

You also asked for more employee recognition, milestones, department features and stories about your coworkers.

If you have more feedback, email WSF Employee Comms.

Employee Recognition

Three people standing on the dock at Fauntleroy terminal with a ferry in the background. and person in middle holding up a piece of wood — Regional Terminal Operations Manager **Anthony Goch** and Capt. **Al Birkland** recently presented Fauntleroy terminal employee **Michele White** a Shared Values Coin. Michele went above and beyond by making a custom crossing board with her own money. She made it to help a regular commuter and has the board ready when they arrive from Vashon.

Three people standing in a ferry's pilothouse with two holding up coins. — Capt. **Jeffrey Reeves** gave a Shared Values Coin to Ordinary Sailors **William Stehly** and **John Trubiano** recently. William and John helped a passenger with Down syndrome who was separated from his family. They remained by his side throughout the trip, coordinated with crew and terminal staff, and ensured a safe reunion with his sisters in Port Townsend.

Person in an orange high-visibility jacket holding a coin. — Coupeville terminal employee **Larry Young** was recently awarded a Shared Values Coin. When a semi-truck broke down and caused a traffic backup, he worked quickly with a coworker to reroute vehicles. Thanks to his actions, the ferry left on time. Larry showed great teamwork and stayed calm under pressure.

Four people standing outdoors, two holding coins, with a sky bridge and water in the background. — Company Security Officer **Ana Fuschetto** and Regional Terminal Operations Manager **Anthony Goch** recently awarded Seattle Terminal Supervisor **Joel Parker** and Colman Dock employee **Michael Sprague** with a Shared Values Coin. Seattle terminal staff members **Kary Caldwell**, **Vincent Nelson** and **Whitney Hunter** also received a coin for their actions. After a late-night Bainbridge sailing, they helped a young woman who was in serious distress. They calmly directed traffic, stepped in when needed, and helped walk her to safety. Their quick and caring actions made a big difference.

A rescue boat with people on a waterway, surrounded by evergreen trees and homes. — Walla Walla crew members rescued a kayaker in trouble in Rich Passage on May 18. They quickly launched a rescue boat and reached the person, who was swimming to shore. The crew brought the kayaker safely to land. Capt. **Gabe Gaubert**, Chief Mate **Johnathan Springer**, Second Mate **James Kuijper**, Bosun **Chelana Todd**, Able-Bodied Sailors **Antonio Banterrez**, **Alexander Monslow** and **Esther Conomos**, Ordinary Sailors **Morgan Aune**, **Diane Erickson**, **John Oliver** and **Adam Rudd**, Chief Engineer **Shawn McManus**, Assistant Engineer **Michael Maddox** and Oilers **Hayden Rahkola** and **Trevor Moyes** each received a Life Ring Award. Special thanks to Watch Center Supervisor Marie Waterman for working with Kitsap County 911 and the vessel to help make the rescue a success.

Quick thinking prevents serious injury

Seattle terminal employee Brian McClurg helped prevent a serious medical emergency recently.

While loading passengers, he saw a man who looked like he was in distress. When the man started to collapse, Brian stepped in quickly. He caught the man before he could hit his head. Brian called for help right away. With help from others, he kept the man stable until paramedics arrived. Brian’s fast thinking, awareness, and calm actions made sure the man got the care he needed and wasn’t missed in the busy terminal.

Ticketing and Reservations Modernization project update

We’re making progress on our Ticketing and Reservations Modernization (TRM) project.

Our team, working with our vendor Anchor, is preparing to pilot the new system on the Port Townsend/Coupeville route this fall. We had planned to launch in May, but because of a delay in the development and testing, we chose to wait until after the busy summer season. We want to be fully confident that the system will work smoothly before going live.

The full rollout plan is still the same. After Port Townsend/Coupeville, we’ll bring the new system to other terminals. We expect everything to be up and running by June 2026.

We’re also getting new hardware, like kiosks, to improve the experience for both staff and customers. The new system will be easier to use, faster and more modern. But don’t worry – there will be no changes to the types of tickets we sell or the routes that take reservations.

For more information, email the project team.

What’s Up at WSDOT?

June is Pride Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the 2SLGBTQIA+ community as well as how diversity and inclusiveness enhances our agency and community.

For some, 2SLGBTQIA+ may be a new acronym. It stands for two‐spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, asexual. The + symbolizes inclusivity and is used to indicate that the acronym means everyone in the expansive gender and sexuality community.

Although June is designated as a time to celebrate our 2SLGBTQIA+ community, it’s important to remember that Pride Month didn’t start as a celebration. It’s a recognition of the injustices that occurred during the Stonewall Uprising and a way to support individuals who have fought and continue to fight for equality.

We continue this fight today. By working together, we are creating a supportive, respectful and inclusive work environment where everyone can be their authentic self and feel like they belong. This in turn strengthens and improves our agency and our work on behalf of all Washingtonians.

There are many ways to celebrate Pride Month. WSDOT will once again participate in the Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday, June 29. Look for information from the DAG on how to participate in the WSDOT group in the parade, which is voluntary and on employees’ own time.

Other ways to celebrate and show your support include:

Attending a Pride event in your community. Several events are listed on the Washington State LGBTQ Commission website.
Participating in the Washington DEI Empowerment Conference 2025. Sessions are being held in June.
Joining your regional DAG which supports strategic diversity efforts throughout WSDOT.
Educating yourself on the use of pronouns. Consider including your personal pronouns in your email signature.
Showing support at our workplace by using a WSDOT Pride virtual background.

State budgets invest in our future, worker pay raises

Gov. Bob Ferguson recently signed the 2025-2027 state budgets.

Nearly $900 million from the transportation budget will go to capital projects. More than half of that money is for our new vessel builds and electrification efforts. The balance will help fix our terminals, maintain our aging vessels and upgrade our technology systems.

We also received $770 million to operate our ferry system. This money helps cover labor costs, training programs and scholarships for new hires.

It was a tough year for the state budget. Lawmakers had to make hard choices.

In the end, there were no furloughs or layoffs, and most employees will see pay raises.

Nearly all employees will get a 3% raise on July 1, and another 2% raise on July 1, 2026. Our union workers will get between 2% and 6% on July 1, and most will get 4% in 2026. These raises will show up in your July 25 paycheck.

Details for each union labor agreement can be found on the Office of Financial Management’s website.

Training Times

Start dates for upcoming new employee orientations

Deck

Monday, July 28

Engine

Monday, July 28

Welcome Aboard!

Recent deck hires:

Anthony Bain
John Barry
Travis Chesson
Andrew Dang
Tomania Dunlop
Thomas Estrem
Trent Hogarth
Wilbur Kelly
Tammy Rae
Marcus Rice
Frederick Swan
Robert Tague
Curtis Vance
Kathern Von Hagel
Caleb Walker
Chantel Watson

Recent Eagle Harbor hires:

William Burgess

Recent HQ hires:

Alex Borgaard
Jessica Yates

Safety Matters

Here’s your chance to make a difference! We're looking for passionate employees to join the 2025-2026 Employee Safety & Health Committee.

Help shape safety policies and bring fresh ideas to the table. If interested, complete the nomination form in QN 19115 for your department by July 1. You can also email Devon Cory to express your interest.

Ballots with the full list of nominees go out after July 1. We'll announce the new committee following the ballot closure on Aug. 1. New members will have their first meeting Aug. 13.