The Port of Bellingham has announced is has hired Don Goldberg as its director of economic development.

Goldberg has more than 25 years of economic development experience working in the commercial real estate, nonprofit and government sectors. Most recently, he was director of business development for the Port of Portland, where he managed a team of domestic and international economic development managers which sold or leased millions of dollars in land transactions and helped create thousands of jobs.

The director of economic development position will be jointly funded by the Port, the city of Bellingham and Whatcom County.

Goldberg’s responsibilities will focus on creating and sustaining family-wage jobs throughout the county. However, he sees an immediate opportunity on Bellingham’s downtown waterfront.