Richland, WA – February 4, 2020 – Miles S. Thomas, AICP, of Community Planning Resources is joining the Port of Benton team on a part time contract basis to support the Director of Economic Development and Governmental Affairs position.  He brings over 10 years of community and economic development experience, with an emphasis in developing public/private partnerships, building strong business/community ties, and augmenting public policy to support entrepreneurship.  Mr. Thomas has a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning with a specialization in Economic Development from the University of Illinois, along with a Bachelors of Arts in Architecture from the University of North Carolina.  He has been an accredited member of the American Institute of Certified Planners since 2018.

For the Port of Benton, Mr. Thomas will be focused on planning, business recruitment, new development, governmental affairs, and execution of economic development components of the Port’s 2020 Communication and Marketing Strategy.

He will also be the Port’s lead representative and staff to the 2,875 acres Tri-Cities Research District (TCRD), a state of Washington Innovation Partnership Zone.  Facilitating and coordinating the TCRD marketing, communications, events, recruitment and trade shows.

“We were extremely pleased that Miles is joining us.  The Port has key future development opportunities that match perfectly with his skill set and complements our team.  The timing is just right,” stated Diahann Howard, PPM® Executive Director for the Port of Benton.

# # #