Port of Newport Appoints New Commissioner

The Port of Newport has a new voice at the table. In a special meeting on Thursday, February 12, 2026, commissioners unanimously selected Larry Osborne to fill Position 4 on the port commission, choosing him from a field of two candidates, Mr. Osborne and Allie Anderson after a public interview process. Osborne was selected to fill a vacancy created by the recent resignation, of Jeff Lackey.

Osborne introduced himself not as a politician, but as a lifetime practitioner of public service and community-driven economic development. He has lived in Seal Rock and had long ties to Coos Bay and North Bend, he described a career that has run through retail management, chamber of commerce leadership, and federal service. He spent 15 years in retail management, helping open new department stores across Oregon, before moving into chamber work.

In Eugene, he served as economic development coordinator for the local chamber of commerce, then went on to lead the Carson City, Nevada Chamber of Commerce as its CEO for 20 years. During that time, he completed a six-year organizational management program through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and worked closely with city, state, and federal officials. He reminded commissioners that he has been a registered lobbyist, navigating legislative processes not for personal power, but, as he framed it, to advance local business and community interests. He described his background as a mix of public and private experience that is layered atop a personal familiarity with ports and coastal economies.

He noted that over the years, he watched the timber and fishing industries decline, mills close, and working families forced to leave or reinvent themselves. That history, he said, informs how he sees Newport’s challenges today: a warning about overreliance on any single industry, and a call to think creatively about how to use assets like the international terminal for emerging opportunities such as wave energy. He told commissioners he views the Port of Newport as existing first to support its user groups — the commercial fishing fleet, tenants, and other maritime operators — while acting as a catalyst for broader economic health. The port’s role, as he described it, is to maintain and improve facilities, help users succeed, and, in doing so, sustain jobs and a stable local economy.

On the role of a port commissioner, Osborne was clear and measured. Commissioners, he said, are there to set policy, to advise and support the executive director and staff, and to stay out of day-to-day operations. His background working with boards, councils, and agencies, he argued, has taught him where the lines are — and how effective oversight depends less on micromanaging and more on informed questions and steady governance.

He did not shy away from the tensions facing a modern working waterfront. As a volunteer whale-watching guide with Oregon State Parks, he spoke with clear affection about the gray whales that draw visitors to the coast. At the same time, he warned that regulations aimed at protecting marine life can, if not carefully calibrated, push commercial fishermen toward extinction themselves. In his view, the port must help navigate that difficult middle ground, honoring environmental responsibilities without sacrificing the livelihoods that define coastal communities.

Osborne also stressed that he has the time and energy to do the work. Now retired and back in Oregon, he is already active with the Oregon Coast Veterans Association as an officer, serves on the Lincoln County Sheriff’s community advisory group after completing the Citizens Academy, and recently finished CERT training to join the Central Oregon Coast CERT team. The port commission role, he told them, would be the capstone of his community service, not one more obligation added to an already crowded schedule.

After interviewing both candidates a motion was made to appoint Osborne to Position 4 on the Port of Newport Commission, which was approved unanimously. His term expires on June 30, 2029. Although Anderson was not selected, commissioners took time to acknowledge her, praising her passion, courage, and commitment to the community, and encouraging her to stay involved and “keep trying,” noting there is a place for her in local public service. Osborne will be formally sworn in at the next regular commission meeting.