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AWB Crosses the State on Outreach Tour
After the pandemic , it felt great to be back on the road this summer to meet with AWB members in towns from Spokane to Bremerton and Vancouver to Yakima .
Workforce Summit Brings Together Diverse Voices to Seek Solutions
These interactive meetings allowed the AWB Government Affairs team to discuss the latest news from Olympia and Washington , D . C ., while hearing directly from employers about the issues that are most pressing in their communities .
At each of the meetings , the AWB team shared information around three main areas : people ( workforce ), power ( cost of energy ), and production ( achieving the state ’ s goal of doubling manufacturing in Washington ).
AWB ’ s government affairs team also heard from members on concerns about housing , public safety , workforce development , inflation and much more .
Contact Dave Mastin , AWB ’ s vice president of government affairs , at DaveM @ awb . org to learn more and lend your voice to AWB ’ s advocacy in the coming legislative session .
Secretary of State Candidates Debate at AWB
For three decades AWB has hosted candidates debates for statewide races , and that tradition continued in August as the top two candidates in the secretary of state race met at AWB for a live webcasted debate .
Incumbent Secretary of State Steve Hobbs , a Democrat appointed to the position last year , and challenger Julie Anderson , the Pierce County auditor , discussed their qualifications , plans and perspectives in the hour-long debate .
Melissa Santos , a reporter for Axios Seattle , moderated the debate , which was attended live by members of the Olympia press corps .
Johnson Ends Two-year Term as Chair of COSMA
AWB President Kris Johnson ’ s two-year term as chair of the Conference of State Manufacturers Associations ( COSMA ) ended in June . During the group ’ s annual meeting in San Diego , Johnson was recognized for his service , which began a few months after Covid-19 hit .
Johnson led the group through difficult times during the pandemic , according to Mark Denzler , president & CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers ’ Association , which received the inaugural COSMA Leadership Award at the annual meeting of COSMA leaders .
“ He led with grace , resolve and collaboration ,” Denzler said on Twitter . “ Kris is a best in class leader !”
The AWB Institute hosted a Workforce Summit at the Museum of Flight on June 28 to help make headway on connecting employers with skilled , trained workers — and would-be employees with high-paying jobs .
More than 130 attendees really dug down into the issues , with collaborative sessions that unveiled the next steps for employers and workforce educators .
Lt . Gov . Denny Heck was among the speaker line-up .
From certificates to advanced degrees , there are so many important ways for employers , K-12 schools , higher education and government to cooperate to solve this important ongoing challenge — and help our young people get the training they need for the great jobs of today and tomorrow . Contact Thomas Gill of the AWB Institute at ThomasG @ awbinstitute . org to learn more .
AWB Honored for Membership Retention
AWB ’ s membership team took home top honors in the nation in August from the Association of State Chamber Professionals , which met in Las Vegas in conjunction with the National Association of State Chambers .
The award , given in the category of greatest revenue retention , highlighted AWB ’ s work both to bring in new members to support our mission and vision for Washington , as well as holding on to them once they ’ re part of the organization .
“ We couldn ’ t be champions for Washington ’ s economy without the support of our members , and we couldn ’ t earn that support without a total team effort ,” said AWB President Kris Johnson . “ Kudos to Sean Heiner and the hardworking AWB membership team .”
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