Port fires its top financial executive. She says it is retaliation
The Port of Benton’s new commission has removed another of its top executives.
The commission voted unanimously Monday to terminate Alicia Myers, its finance director, auditor and public records official, citing her probationary status and “unsatisfactory” performance.
Myers told the Tri-City Herald she is being retaliated against for doing her job, including the release of an investigation into two complaints detailing 24 allegations lodged against Commissioner Scott Keller last fall.
The report was a public document released under the Washington Public Records Act. The investigation by an outside law firm resulted in four findings of misconduct against Keller, including violations of a state law against making gifts of public funds.
Myers joined the port in November, bringing an extensive background in finance.
Her termination after a 30-minute closed-door meeting Monday comes a few weeks after the commission suspended Executive Director Diahann Howard with pay, pending an investigation. No reason has been given publicly for the investigation.
Myers was hired by Howard, who has said publicly through her attorney that her suspension also is in retaliation for the Keller investigation.
The move is the latest shakeup for the port since a new commissioner joined the three-member board in January.
Commissioner Bill O’Neil defeated long-time incumbent Roy Keck in the November election, which included tenants at the port-owned Richland Airport pushing back against efforts to raise rents to market rates.
On Monday, O’Neil, Keller and Commission Lori Stevens, appointed Angela Saraceno-Lyman, currently the senior accountant to be the interim auditor, and Jorge Celestino, currently the business operations specialist, to be the interim public records officer.
The pair will report to Ron Branine, the interim executive director. No interim finance director has been named.
The port has about 22 employees and an annual budget of $26 million, supported by $3.3 million in property taxes.
Keller complaint investigation
Last fall, the port hired Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt to review allegations of misconduct during Keller’s time as both a paid employee and later elected commissioner.
Keller worked for the port for 30 years, retiring as executive director in 2019. He returned as an elected commissioner four years later.
The Port of Benton is a public agency with responsibility for promoting economic development in western Benton County.
It is based in Richland but covers swaths of Benton City, Prosser and unincorporated Benton County.
It owns and operates the Richland and Prosser airports and a number of business parks as well as Crow Butte Park on the Columbia River near Paterson.
Howard, through an attorney, accused the commission of retaliation and has hinted at legal action.
Howard is credited with leading the port as it transformed into a center for clean energy and an inland port.
Notably, as executive director, she secured a deal to sell land near Stevens Drive to Atlas Agro, which plans to construct a $1.5 billion low-carbon fertilizer plant in Richland, but only if it can find and bring the 300+ megawatts of electricity needed.
Atlas Agro has a separate deal with the city of Richland for a neighboring site, where it plans to develop a $500 million data center, with similar energy requirements.
The two projects would receive power via a new interconnect. Atlas Agro is conducting due diligence and has not finalized its commitment by closing the land deals.
Myers was hired from the Port of Skagit, where she was director finance.
She previously served as finance director for the Mount Baker School District and was an assistant state auditor and fraud specialist for the Washington State Auditor’s Office.
It’s unclear if that will end the months-long upheaval because the Washington state Auditor’s Office confirmed to the Herald that it has received a complaint outlining concerns about the Port of Benton.
It says it will review those concerns and could incorporate them into the port’s next audit, which is scheduled to begin in late summer.
This story was originally published February 2, 2026 at 12:55 PM.