Washington Business Spring 2017 | Washington Business | Page 14

washington business Of Note Marty Brown, Executive Director of the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, to Retire in June The State Board of Community and Technical Colleges’ (SBCTC) Executive Director Marty Brown announced earlier this year he will retire on June 30. During Brown’s four-year ten- ure at SBCTC, Washington state won several grants that moved its community and technical college system into the national spotlight. “With his budget and legislative savvy, Marty has delivered excellent results for students, colleges and our state. Marty may be leaving us but his impact in our system will have a lasting legacy,” said State Board Chair Shaunta Hyde in a press release. Brown began his public service in 1977 as a Senate committee staff member. After advancing to become the Senate Democratic Caucus attorney, Senate Democratic staff director and secre- tary of the Senate, Brown became director of legislative affairs for Gov. Gary Locke in 1997. He also served as chief of staff and director of the Office of Financial Management under Govs. Locke and Christine Gregoire. After nearly 40 years of public service, Brown will hold off retiring until after he sees the community and technical college system go through one more legislative session. Afterward, Brown plans to spend more time with his family. “We’ve got two great kids and four wonderful grandchildren and a fifth on the way,” said Brown. “I’ve been blessed in my career and worked with, and for, great people for nearly 40 years.” Alaska Airlines Takes Flight to Cuba On Jan. 5, Alaska Airlines launched its first regularly- scheduled U.S. commercial flight between Los Angeles and Havana, Cuba. Fifty political, business and cultural leaders from California and Washington state took part in an educational trade mission to learn more about the island. One of the participants was University of Washington Pres- ident Dr. Ana Mari Cauce. Cauce, whose parents emigrated to Miami from Cuba when she was just 3 years old, has since become the first Cuban-born leader of a major American aca- demic institution. “I’m thrilled at this new spirit of openness and the oppor- tunity for us to build greater ties with the people of Cuba,” Cauce said in a press release. “This visit is a high point for me personally and professionally.” The commercial flight marks a first for Alaska; however, it isn’t the first time the company has flown to Cuba. In the ear- ly 1970s, Alaska flew U.S. Military Command charter flights to the base at Guantanamo Bay. Flights to Havana are now a daily occurrence. To learn more, visit alaskaair.com/cuba. Schilling Cider Wins 2017 Innovation Award from Puget Sound Business Journal Schilling Cider, maker of craft hard ciders, won the Puget Sound Business Journal’s (PSBJ) first-ever 2017 Food & Beverage Innovation Award. The award recognizes companies that have made extraordinary advances in their respective fields. “In the PSBJ's first-ever Innovation Awards, we aim to highlight the creative ways our region's businesses confront problems and seek solutions. This program will honor com- panies that have developed innovative methods that will shape the future of business,” PSBJ said on their website. Schilling Cider was also recognized for its dedication to sustainable practices in the 2016 AWB Grow Here employer image campaign. It is the first hard cider maker on the West Coast to package its beverages in cans, which proved to be the starting point of a trend in the industry for sustainability and environmental stewardship. To learn more about Schilling Cider and their sustainability practices, go to AWB’s Grow Here website at awb.org/growhere-schilling. 14 association of washington business