Our leadership

Kurt Beckett was appointed as EFSEC Chair in January 2025. He brings nearly two decades of experience in management, environmental review, project operations and organizational strategy to the position. Prior to his EFSEC appointment, Kurt served as Chief Operating Officer at Strategies 360, working on wind, solar, battery storage and hydrogen generation and manufacturing projects. He previously served as the deputy CEO of the Northwest Seaport Alliance, a first-of-its-kind North American marine cargo operating partnership, and deputy CEO of the Port of Seattle. He also worked as District Director for U.S. Congressman Norm Dicks and State Director and Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell. He has previously served on the Washington State Maritime Blue board, the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors, the University of Washington Center for Supply Chain, Transportation & Logistics, the International Association of Ports & Harbors Climate & Energy Committee, and continues as a board member for the University of Washington Tacoma Center for Urban Waters.

Dave Walker has served as EFSEC’s Interim Executive Director since February 2026. He assumed this position after four years of participation in the leadership team that has stood up the agency as an independent entity. He first joined EFSEC in April 2022 as the Administrative Services Director, working to build up the administrative functions of the agency. He retired in the summer of 2024 but returned in 2025 to lead special leadership initiatives such as the redesign of the agency’s website and brand, and the development of the agency’s next strategic plan.

Before joining EFSEC, Walker spent 13 years at the Department of Licensing working on regulatory management of professional services programs and Assistant Director for the state’s driver and vehicle licensing services.  Prior to DOL, Walker spent 18 years at the Department of Corrections managing prisons and community corrections programs.

Walker holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Business Administration from Washington State University.

As EFSEC’s Director of Administrative Services, Nabila Gomes serves as the agency’s deputy director, leading agency wide policy and expenditures, contracting, legislative priorities, and organizational rules. In this role, she continues her more than 20-year career as a high-impact public sector leader leading complex operations, fiscal strategy, and administrative functions in fast-paced regulatory environments.

Prior to their role at EFSEC, Gomes served as the Deputy Insurance Commissioner of Operations at the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, leading a multi-disciplinary team across Finance, IT, HR, and Public Records, and as the Managing Director of Office Services at the state Department of Commerce in charge of procurement, facilities management, and agency-wide policy implementation. Before coming to state service, Gomes served with the 7th Army Training Command in Vicenza, Italy, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Amí Hafkemeyer is the Director of Siting and Compliance for EFSEC. She oversees technical staff in their implementation of SEPA reviews and permit application reviews to process applications for site certification. Amí has been with the agency for over nine years. Amí’s previous roles at EFSEC include Siting Specialist and Siting and Compliance Manager. Prior to her time at EFSEC, she spent eight years working in the missile and aerospace defense industry in environmental compliance for water quality, air quality, and waste and hazardous waste management. Her degrees are both from the University of Arizona, receiving her B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the College of Science, and her M.S. in Natural Resources with emphasis on Watershed Management and Ecohydrology from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.