Case Study: Port of Seattle modernizes public records process with NextRequest

How this special-purpose municipal corporation modernized their records request process

The Port of Seattle, a public authority that operates a major West Coast seaport, Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, and regional real estate, struggled with an increasingly cumbersome public records process—multiple installments, email attachments, and CDs made fulfillment inefficient. In 2014 Records Manager Jerome Wilen sought a FOIA solution and selected NextRequest to modernize how the Port handled public records requests.

On January 12, 2015 the Port (including Port Police) launched NextRequest to process all public records requests, which reduced email and CD deliveries and improved transparency and efficiency; in eight months the Port processed 334 requests, diverted 19% of requests to self‑service, and enabled 11,223 document downloads. NextRequest’s platform and customer-focused support delivered these measurable operational improvements.

Port of Seattle

Jerome Wilen

Records Manager