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ASHLAND ALUM AHS grad named Port of Portland police chief Former Grizz all-star lineman worked way up ladder after graduating from SOU Comment By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 12, 2015 at 4:33 PM By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 12, 2015 at 4:33 PM » Social News As a former prep football standout once recruited by NFL coach Rex Ryan, Jason Wallis has heard his share of inspirational sound bites, both in the locker room and on the sideline. One of his favorite was delivered by Southern Oregon University head coach Craig Howard, who was the defensive coordinator at Oregon Tech when Wallis was there figuring out whether college football was for him. “The ‘big-time,’ ” Howard said, “is wherever you’re at.” Translation: Don’t worry so much about the next step or what could have been. Instead, pour all your energy into what you’re doing today. Wallis, who graduated from Ashland High School in 1988, took that advice to heart, landing a job with the Port of Portland months before graduating from SOU. There, he climbed the law enforcement ladder in the city-within-a-city that is the Port of Portland, steadily earning promotions from officer to sergeant, detective sergeant, lieutenant and captain. On July 2, in a ceremony attended by most of his family, some via Skype, Wallis was sworn in as the Port of Portland’s police chief. The port police department’s jurisdiction includes Portland International Airport. Besides serving and protecting the 10,000 PDX employees, Wallis’ department is responsible for some 15 million travelers a year — about 40,000 a day — who make their way through the facility. Wallis chuckles when describing how he learned of the promotion. Mark Crosby, the port’s chief of public safety and security, summoned Wallis to his office to discuss a “disciplinary issue.” “So I went in there ready for some big thing,” Wallis said. It was a big thing, just not the one Wallis expected. Crosby offered Wallis the job. “I was very honored, very surprised,” Wallis said. “There was some great competition and it’s a great opportunity. For me, I feel like I’ve really taken advantage of every position that I’ve had and tried to make the most of all my assignments, and that’s one thing that (Crosby) mentioned. Every day you come to work is part of your resume and part of the interview process. It’s an honor, and I’m very happy. This is a great organization.” Wallis, who has worked for the Port of Portland for 18 years, was selected to take over for retiring Chief Phil Klahn following a nationwide search. In his time at the Port, Wallis has supervised the detective and K9 units (the unit has four bomb-detecting dogs), served four years as a lieutenant, two years as a captain and most recently filled in as the acting chief following Klahn’s retirement. Wallis said he had many Ashland influences, especially on the gridiron. During his ninth-grade year, former Ashland High football coach Jim Nagel spoke to his class and implored anybody who was interested in playing in high school to start working out. Wallis still remembers Nagel’s words: “We’re going in a new direction,” he said, “and your class is a big part of that.” Wallis — 6-foot-2 and about 150 pounds at the time — took the advice to heart. He asked his parents for a gym membership and used it, gaining 15 pounds of muscle before the start of his sophomore season. By the time the University of Montana offered him a football scholarship he was a 6-foot-5, 235-pound, first-team all-conference lineman. “All the coaches were definitely mentors to me,” Wallis said. “Not everybody responds to that kind of structure, but I did. I liked the team concept.” He still does. Most of his staff’s work is done on foot and bike in the terminal, which is often packed. Covering that much ground in a densely populated building requires pinpoint coordination, and they get results. According to Wallis, PDX averages fewer than 200 thefts of luggage a year out of the millions of suitcases and bags that flow through annually. “When things are stolen,” he said, “we catch the people who steal them.” The port police department is also required under federal regulations to respond immediately when the Transportation Security Administration needs a hand. Wallis’ parents, Bob and Lynn Wallis, still live in Ashland and drove up to Portland to watch their son get sworn in. Lynn admitted she was stressed out while waiting to hear whether he got the job. When the call finally came in, she cheered into the phone like she was at Phillips Field again, watching Jason make a tackle. “I screamed, ‘Ahhhh,’ ” she said. “ 'They’re brilliant,' I said. Whoever is on the board, they’re brilliant.” Joe Zavala can be reached at 541-821-0829 or [email protected]. By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Joe Zavala for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 12, 2015 at 4:33 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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