Hamdi Mohamed arrived 30 years ago with her family, refugees fleeing war-torn Somalia. In 2024, the 34-year-old port commissioner became the first Black woman to chair the Seattle Port Commission, the public authority that manages Sea-Tac Airport and the Port of Seattle.

Mohamed was not quite a year old when she fled Somalia with her family for a refugee camp in Kenya, where they stayed for three years before immigrating to the United States.

“My American story began when my plane touched down at the airport that is governed by the commission where I work,” Mohamed says. “It connects so many threads of my life story. I can relate to the people we are serving. I can relate to the needs of our communities.”

“When they say something has never been done, I say, it is time. I lean into the challenge. It’s an opportunity for innovation.”

Mohamed has many responsibilities. Port commissioner duties are classified as part time but require full-time hours and extensive travel. Her “day job” is director of the city of Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, an appointment by Mayor Bruce Harrell. She is also on incoming Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson’s transition team. And, on the Fourth of July, she became a mother for the first time.

“When you are passionate about the work and you care about the people you are serving, you don’t care about the amount of time you devote to it,” Mohamed says.

When she was first elected, Hamdi became the first Somali American woman elected to any major public office in Washington state. She also became the first Black woman elected to the port commission.

Mohamed, who lives in the city of SeaTac, is the only port commissioner who resides in South King County. She grew up under the shadow of the airport, the largest property and employer under the port’s jurisdiction.

“The personal connection to the Port of Seattle means a lot to me,” Mohamed says. “When I was a kid, my mother worked at Sea-Tac Airport. I have a lot of family that still work at Port of Seattle terminals. I have put South King County front and center when it comes to the Port of Seattle’s policymaking and engagement with that community.”

This year, she helped fund a $6.5 million pilot project to reduce noise pollution around Sea-Tac. She also led the renewal of the South King County Impact Fund, a program that funds community-led projects that promote equity and environmental health and increases access to the tune of $14 million over the next five years in communities around Sea-Tac Airport. She also championed the expansion of the Youth Maritime Career Launch, created to promote careers in the maritime industry for young professionals ages 16 to 24.

Mohamed, who has shattered multiple ceilings, wants to pay it forward. She says she’s benefited from mentorship from the likes of Ferguson, Harrell, Seattle Deputy Mayor Adiam Emery, U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Jayapal’s Deputy Chief of Staff Rachel Berkson, and many others.

“For me, it’s so important that I recognize my worth,” she says. “I acknowledge my work and my worth. I surrounded myself with a strong network of mentors. I don’t just belong in the room. I bring value to the table. When they say something has never been done, I say, it is time. I lean into the challenge. It’s an opportunity for innovation.”