from the chair
The Next Chapter for AWB
Mel Russell
I find myself in the unique position of serving as the incoming board chair at a remarkable point in the history of this
long-standing organization. But I take comfort knowing we
have been there before — and come out stronger for it.
Nearly 30 years ago, another AWB board chair was preparing to embark on a new chapter in AWB history when
a young Don Brunell was tapped to lead this organization.
Little did they know the accomplishments Don would
bring to the association, transforming AWB from a group
on the brink of bankruptcy to the premier organization for
business in our state. Our membership is strong, as is our
fiscal health.
We will be in good hands with our new president, Kris
Johnson, because of the plans Don has set forth for the next
generation of AWB leadership to implement.
strategic plan
For a little over a year, AWB’s strategic planning committee
has been working to finalize the association’s new bridge
plan, which was approved at the September board meeting
at Suncadia. The goal: put in place a roadmap for the new
leadership to keep AWB on a successful course during this
transition.
As chairman of the committee, I can tell you our plan
hits all the right notes by focusing on three core areas: our
16 association of washington business
service corps, our interaction with members and our workforce and manufacturing efforts.
Our service corps, bundled under the umbrella of Forterra, consists of our HealthChoice health insurance plan,
CompWise retrospective rating program and
several other new offerings like MyFuture
401(k). These programs are designed to provide much-needed services to our members,
adding value to AWB’s association offerings.
The strategic plan appropriately focuses on
Forterra because this is the front door through
which many members connect with AWB.
They present opportunities to develop longerterm “mission” members.
Our second focus emphasizes what we refer
to as “First Contact” — how members come to
interact with AWB. It used to be a phone call
to the office; now it could be through the website, on Twitter or any number of other digital
means. The point is, we need to be sure we are
available to