Chief financial officer set to leave Blaine school district

Amber Porter, executive director of finance and operations for the Blaine school district, will have her last day on the job on Wednesday, January 31 after taking a position with the Oak Harbor school district on Whidbey Island.

In 2010, Porter started working for the school district as business manager under then-superintendent Ron Spanjer. Before joining the school district, Porter worked as an assistant state auditor for the Washington State Auditor’s Office.

Porter’s time at the district spanned unprecedented challenges such as the pandemic and its resulting move to online learning, dwindling enrollment numbers and state funding, and multiple levy and capital bond elections.

Porter said she will always cherish the relationships she built in the Blaine community, the administrative team she got to work with every day and the joy of watching her son grow up in the Blaine school system.

“Over the years, I was able to hire a group of very talented department heads and business staff who are technically capable and dedicated to serving the students and public,” Porter told The Northern Light. “I also appreciated having my own son in the Blaine community; I feel he was given tremendous opportunities as a student to experience enriching programs, thanks to the energy of Blaine’s teachers and administrators.”

Superintendent Christopher Granger has worked closely with Porter since he was hired in 2019, and said that the work she did for the district was crucial.

“She navigated a pandemic, online learning, a budget reduction,” Granger said. “I couldn’t say enough good things about Amber and what she’s done and how much that she’ll be missed.”

The timing for Porter’s departure is significant, as the school district is facing a pair of important funding decisions by Blaine, Birch Bay and Point Roberts voters. The district is asking voters to approve a replacement educational programs and operations levy and a $70 million construction bond.

Porter led the finance department through successful passage of bonds and levies in 2012, 2015 and 2018, and was key in the structuring of the pending funding proposals.

“I would love to see continued support in the February election as there is great need for facility replacement at the middle school, and it is structured to avoid tax increases,” Porter said. “I will miss this community and cherish many fond memories.”

The school district is in the process of reviewing applications for Porter’s vacated post, and hopes to fill the position as soon as possible, but will prioritize finding the right person for the position, Granger said.