Sam H. Cho

Commissioner,
Port of seattle

Metro Region: Seattle

Member Since: 2018

Sam Cho is an elected Commissioner of the Port of Seattle, one of the largest transportation and economic development agencies in the United States. Elected in 2019 at the age of 29, he became the youngest commissioner in the Port’s history. In 2023, he made history again as the youngest and first person of color to serve as President of the Port of Seattle Commission since the Port’s founding in 1911. He took his oath of office in both English and Korean as an homage to his immigrant roots. 

As a Port Commissioner, Cho helps oversee Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the container operation, and one of North America’s largest cruise operations. His work focuses on international trade, economic development, transportation, sustainability, workforce development, and combating human trafficking. 

The son of Korean immigrants who first entered the United States through the Port of Seattle, Cho’s story has come full circle. Today, he serves as a commissioner of the very port through which his parents began their American journey. His experiences as the child of immigrants have shaped his commitment to expanding economic opportunity, strengthening global connections, and ensuring that international trade creates broadly shared prosperity.

Prior to his election, Cho built a career spanning federal government, international trade, economic development, and entrepreneurship. He served in the Obama Administration, worked in the United States Congress and Washington State Legislature, and served as an analyst at the U.S. Department of State. He later founded and was CEO of Seven Seas Export, an international trade company that connected American producers with overseas markets throughout Asia.  Most recently he served as Director of Strategic Initiatives in the Office of the Mayor of Seattle. 

In addition to his Port leadership, Cho serves on the U.S. Trade Representative’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee on Trade, advising the federal government on the regional impacts of U.S. trade policy. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Forbes Business Council, a German Marshall Fund Marshall Memorial Fellow, and the Atlantic Council Millenium Fellow.

His leadership has earned regional and national recognition. Cho was named one of Seattle’s Most Influential People by Seattle Magazine and was inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame in 2023. 

Cho holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from American University and a Master of Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science.