Washington Business Fall 2016 | Washington Business | Page 29

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“It’s a 360-degree deep dive into the organization, and you can’t fool people who are in the business,” Fleming said. “Moving on to be
a finalist, which AWB has done twice before, is a pretty monumental feat in itself.”
The international award is an expansion of previous contests, which considered state chambers like AWB along with large local chambers.
AWB was a runner-up in that contest in 2014 and 2015.
The runners-up for this year’s contest in the new category are the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Saskatchewan
Chamber of Commerce.

foresight and persistence
Lori Mattson, president and CEO of the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, was one of the thousand or so people in the room when
AWB was announced as the winner. She said it was a special moment to see Johnson, her former boss, receive the award.
“From a chamber standpoint, I really commend ACCE for creating this extra category for state chambers and for Kris and the staff
at AWB for having the foresight to even apply for this in the first place,” Mattson said.
“I know it took a few years of applying. It definitely shows that persistence pays off.”
She noted that after receiving the award, Johnson called her and other local chamber
leaders from around Washington onto the stage to be part of AWB’s official award photo.
That simple gesture helped demonstrate AWB’s commitment to the Grassroots Alliance
and its local partners, Mattson said.
AWB Board Chair Mike Schwenk said he appreciated the recognition of projects
— Mike Schwenk, board chair, AWB
like the new Grassroots Alliance that AWB has designed to bring employers and other
leaders together to find solutions to our state’s challenges.
That award-winning work will continue as AWB brings together the innovation and
Association of Chamber of Commerce
perspective of Washington’s employers to help solve the state’s future challenges.
Executives
“We have worked hard building new coalitions to address some of the major policy
www.acce.org
issues facing the state, including transportation, climate policy and international trade,”

“This recognition not only affirms
that we are moving in the right
direction, but also reenergizes
our efforts.”

Schwenk said. “This recognition not only affirms that we are moving in the right direction,
but also reenergizes our efforts.”

Grassroots Alliance
www.awb.org/local-chamber-grassrootsalliance

at a glance
AWB was named the 2016 Chamber of
the Year by the Association of Chamber
of Commerce Executives. AWB President
Kris Johnson and the AWB Institute’s Amy
Anderson accepted the award on Aug.
10 during the annual ACCE convention in
Savannah, Georgia.

“From a chamber standpoint, I really commend ACCE for
creating this extra category for state chambers and for
Kris and the staff at AWB for having the foresight to even
apply for this in the first place. I know it took a few years of
applying. It definitely shows that persistence pays off.”

AWB submitted a detailed application for
the award, highlighting the creation of the
AWB-Local Chamber Grassroots Alliance,
AWB’s years-long advocacy work for
renewal of the Export-Import Bank, and the
new AWB 2020 mission, vision and strategy.
Other finalists included the Georgia
Chamber of Commerce and the
Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce.

– Lori Mattson, president & CEO, Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce

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