from the chair
But for ... AWB
Mike Schwenk
At AWB ’ s Spring Meeting in Spokane , a local business owner came up and introduced himself . In the course of getting acquainted , he asked , “ Why should I join AWB ?” Now , I am embarrassed to admit that I don ’ t have a polished sales pitch like staff does ( and where were they when I needed them !). And , to be honest , I don ’ t recall ever being asked that question so directly . As a matter of fact , when first asked to consider a membership on behalf of my employer many years ago , a very skeptical me asked the same question .
What happened next is one of those moments I ’ m sure we have all been through , when , without much thought , words came pouring out . And in such a way you wonder later where they all came from . Well , that “ later ” is now , and I get it . It has been my privilege to serve AWB not just as a member , but as an attendee at many meetings , as a consumer of countless Fast Facts and Washington Business magazines , as a committee member , as a member of the board , as a member of the executive committee , as an officer , and yes , as chair — for two terms . Like any of us , if you do all that , long enough , you get to see , hear and experience a great deal . And you can ’ t help but absorb it — a lot of it .
So when prompted by a genuinely curious peer about the value proposition of a membership , what came out was not a scripted response , but an emotional one . I ’ ll give you the ‘ Reader ’ s Digest ’ version : Business in this state is under siege , and it has been for a long while . Year after year , the gradual , incremental addition of taxes and regulations are contributing mightily to a deteriorating business climate . There is a continually evolving negative attitude about business that implies it is a necessary evil that must be kept in check , occasionally punished or penalized , and certainly asked to share more of the burden for the greater good .
To me , it is death by a thousand pin pricks . For most of the thousands of small and medium size businesses across the state , they are unaware of the deluge of disabling activities being proposed and ultimately enacted . And if they are aware , they feel powerless to act . That ’ s where an institution like AWB comes in . Someone has to have the resources to be paying attention , to do the homework , to carry the voice of the business community into all the right places at the right time . A famous quote is that the world is run by those who show up . AWB shows up . I am so lucky to have become involved enough to see that happen — every day . As the conversation with my new acquaintance came to a close , Kris Johnson stopped by to introduce himself . The person shook Kris ’ hand and said I had just sold him on a membership . I never even made the ask , but he “ got it .”
This is an amazing organization . It has been an honor to be part of this institution . We can and should all hold our heads high . You couldn ’ t be making a better investment . But for AWB , we would not be enjoying nearly as much economic prosperity — prosperity made possible by the private-sector employers of Washington .
14 association of washington business