Washington State Ferries Employee News

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

Watch the all-staff meeting recording from Wednesday, Oct. 1.

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

New look for Ferry Tales, based on your input

Our employee newsletter has a fresh new format, thanks to you!

Back in spring we asked you what you liked and what feedback you had about how we share news. You told us a few things loud and clear:

You want to see more employee recognition and celebration.
Most of you read the PDF version, not the online version.
Simplicity matters — it should be easy to skim and easy to read.

With that in mind, we redesigned the newsletter.

The PDF version will include the whole newsletter, which makes it longer. But this also gives us more room to highlight team accomplishments, milestones and stories that show the great work happening across our organization. At the same time, we kept the style clean and simple so you can find what matters quickly.

We’ll continue to listen, adjust and make sure the newsletter reflects what’s most important to you. If you have more input, please email WSF Employee Comms. After all, this is your newsletter.

Employee Recognition

Two people taking a selfie near water, with one holding a gold coin. — Terminal Supervisor **Jennie Buswell** recently presented a Service Award Coin to Terminal Attendant **Suzy Strom**. Suzy’s work ethic is outstanding, and she has worked hard to keep our Port Townsend facility in top shape this summer.

Employee Spotlight

Brenda Hering
Able-Bodied Seafarer

Variety is what keeps Able-Bodied Seafarer Brenda Hering coming back to work each day.

“I really love it,” she said. “I’m glad to get out and about and move about through the system.”

Brenda began working at Washington State Ferries in 1981, starting on the dock and in food service before moving into the galley. Since 2010, she has been a relief AB.

Brenda began working in food service on the dock in Anacortes in 1981 for Saga food, before moving into the onboard galley in 1984. In 1991, she transferred to the deck as an ordinary seafarer. She received her AB ticket in 1994. In 2010, started working as a relief AB.

That role has kept her moving around the fleet, where no two days are the same.

“Each boat is so unique in its own way,” said Brenda. “The job entails steering as a quartermaster, loading as a boatswain, running lifeboats and learning all the different duties on the station bill. There’s always something new to pick up.”

Based in Anacortes, Brenda often works on our Anacortes/San Juan Islands route. That’s also where she’s earned the affectionate nickname of “Ferry Godmother,” thanks to her calm and caring presence during not one, but two ferry births.

In the 1990s, she was with a young couple who left Orcas Island for Arlington and only made it to Island Hospital.

“They didn’t know Lamaze, they didn’t know what to do,” she recalled. “While on the ferry I just stayed with the mom and helped her breathe. After my shift, I found them at the hospital where she had not delivered yet, I got there and started where we left off, and within an hour, baby Kayla was born. It was beautiful.”

In August 2024 while working aboard Samish, Brenda found herself helping another passenger in labor.

“I just tossed my radio off and went into mama mode,” she said. ““We got her settled upstairs, and found myself back coaching and breathing with mom and within the hour the baby was born. It was so exciting, seeing this little miracle Arlo.”

For Brenda, those moments highlight what makes the job rewarding.

“I love working with the public. You just never know who you’ll meet,” she said. “Sometimes people are frustrated, and they just need someone to listen. I like problem-solving and helping people understand why we do things the way we do.”

Not every interaction is so easy.

“The most challenging part is dealing with all the different moods and personalities. People come from all over the world, and sometimes they arrive upset before they even get on the boat. You just have to roll with it and try to turn it into a positive,” she said.

Looking back, Brenda is amazed at how quickly the years have gone by.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been over 40 years,” she said. “But I’ve raised three kids with this job, and the benefits and pension, you can’t beat it. Sometimes I look around and think, ‘I’m getting paid for this?’ This is great.’”

Brenda plans to retire in the next few years. But until then, she’ll keep enjoying the view from the wheelhouse and the chance to meet new people on every trip.

“What a wonderful job we have,” she said.

What’s New at HQ?

Forrest Nichols
Director of Vessel Maintenance & Engineering

In my 13 years at Washington State Ferries, I’ve had several jobs. I started out as an oiler, and most recently served as a port engineer. Now I’m excited to be the director of vessel maintenance and engineering. I feel I bring a unique perspective to the role, especially when it comes to highlighting the work that isn’t always visible to the outside world.

We do amazing work here. We run 21 boats, 20 hours a day, 7 days a week, for an average of 45 weeks per year per vessel. Our engine room crews, Eagle Harbor and shipyard project teams kept the fleet operating at 96-98% reliability through the pandemic, budget shortages and just about every difficulty that might have sidelined us. We don’t always provide our team with the training, parts or maintenance time they need but they get the work done despite limited resources.

We are not only a ferry boat operator, we are also a government agency. That makes all of our decisions and processes a little more complicated. But as public servants, I’ve seen us come up with creative solutions to our incredibly challenging mission. And most of the time, we succeed.

Right now, we’re running 18 boats for the first time in several years. That’s only because the vessel team figured out how to make it work. It hurts, but we push forward to make it happen. Every day, we make difficult decisions to keep those boats moving.

My top priority is to make sure our people have what they need to do their jobs. Maintaining ferry boats takes a wide range of skills – from the engine room to 2901 – and I want to focus on training and familiarization, especially with so many new people coming aboard.

Our training budget isn’t as strong as it could be, so we’ll have to be strategic. But if we can prepare people and build them up for success in new roles, that’s a win. This is especially true in the engine room, where every employee starts in an entry-level position and works their way up.

As we talk about “Turning the Tide” I want our vessel department to see and understand the actions that we are taking to back up the vision that we are sharing. I plan to collaborate closely with MEBA and our operations team. I see my role as helping translate and communicate what Turning the Tide means in a way that makes sense for my team, while backing it up with real actions, not just words.

Outside of work, I spend as much time as I can with my family, including my two sons, who are 11 and 13. We love being outdoors, whether it’s boating, swimming, free diving, backpacking or biking.

Next step in 2901 floor consolidation

Work is progressing on the project to rearrange our offices at 2901 Third Ave. in Seattle.

We will leave the fifth floor completely. We will also have less space on the first floor. Most departments will share space on the fourth floor, where our new reception area will be located.

The smaller office space fits WSDOT’s needs better. It will also save the agency about 30% in rent costs.
WSF will still share the building with other WSDOT groups such as Tolling, Active Transportation and Public Transportation.

The Department of Enterprise Services is finalizing a new five-year lease with the landlord. Construction on the fourth floor will add training rooms, a reception area and enclosed offices. This work is planned for December 2025 through February 2026. The project should be done by March 2026.

Thank you to staff in all departments. Your hard work in reviewing and consolidating years of accumulated records, supplies and equipment makes this move possible.

For more information, visit the 2901 Floor Consolidation Guide (must view on a WSDOT device).

Dispatch Replacement Project advances with key milestones

Our Dispatch Replacement Project is moving forward and making solid progress. The team is confident in the work ahead.

Our chosen technology vendor, Helm, has been working alongside our subject matter experts. Together, they are setting up Helm’s system to support all our unique operational needs. Recently, the project team showcased a series of live demonstrations.

These demonstrations were shown to the project steering committee and then to bid administrators. The sessions offered a first-hand look at how Helm is meeting our process needs. Feedback from the sessions was a great blend of appreciation, explanation on further details and questions. This showed both the project’s momentum and the strong partnership between Helm and WSF.

Scan here anytime to visit the Dispatch Replacement Project SharePoint site (must view on a WSDOT device). It's updated at least once a month with the latest project news. This QR code will also be included in every issue of Ferry Tales through summer 2027, when the project is expected to wrap up.

One example of progress was when bid administrators described the view they need to make domino bidding work effectively. Sharing this kind of feedback helps Helm shape Helm Connect for WSF.

Another highlight builds on the next steps promise we made in the July 15 Dispatch Summary Results flyer (must view on a WSDOT device). That flyer included feedback from the project’s change readiness survey and visits to the fleet and terminals. We said we would share mockups when they started to become available. Below is a sample representing the personal portal each terminal employee or vessel crew member will have in Helm:

Screenshot of a Helm CONNECT draft mockup of dispatch system with text "8/15/25 Demo Sample Please note this is not the final version."

Looking ahead, the project is moving into its next phase of development. A testing lead is joining the project team to guide the testing process. Other technical team members are also getting started. A selection of project ambassadors will also begin soon. These will be passionate team members who want to help champion the project and support a smooth transition.

With these milestones on the horizon, the project remains on a steady track toward successful delivery.

Training Times

Group of people wearing safety gear on an orange inflatable raft in the water. — Congratulations to the 14 new hires who recently completed Deck New Employee Orientation, which was our sixth this year. Here they are on their last day of training in August.

Group of people in a workshop setting with ferry engine machinery and industrial decor. — Also in August, we welcomed 10 new engine room employees who completed Engine New Employee Orientation.

Start dates for upcoming new employee orientations

Deck

Monday, Oct. 6

Engine

Monday, Nov. 3

Terminal

Monday, Oct. 6

Eagle Harbor

Monday, Nov. 3

Safety Matters

When wearing ear plugs you should always perform two functional tests. After inserting ear plugs and allowing to fully expand, perform the following tests:

Gently pull on the ear plug. They should not move.
Cover your ears with your hands and talk, “One, two, three.” Then uncover your ears and talk, “One, two, three.” Your words should sound the same both ways if your earplugs fit and are inserted correctly.

Contact the Quality, Health, Safety & Environment Department’s Walter Bennett or Jessica Reed if you have trouble getting your earplugs to fit.