washington business
heart, so I went to college with my two oldest kids and we graduated together from Green River. I received a degree in business management.
Since then, I’ ve gotten a certificate from Foster Business School and I developed a class for young women at Edmonds Community College that I teach once a year. They have what’ s called Expanding Your Horizons, a one-day seminar program. Mine is all about how I transitioned home economics to aerospace and precision machining. And how I was able to take the two and link them together and how things are similar. I mean, a dress pattern is no different than a blueprint. Making an assembly is no different than making a cake. You have to have all the ingredients, right? shiloh schauer: I think there are two things. One is being in a job that allows me to improve myself and those around me. I’ m highly motivated by growth opportunities, whether that’ s in my leadership or technical skills. And, being able to use those skills to better my community. Second, I love jobs where I’ m able to help people meet their needs, whatever they may be. Money is great. I like to be able to have a good quality of life. But, at the end of the day, I want to be sure I’ m making a difference. austin neilson: For me, the big thing is to contribute something to my organization or to the community. I want to feel like I’ m part of something— a greater good or cause in whatever I do. It’ s one thing just to come to work every day and just punch in and out of the time clock, it’ s another to come to work every day and have meaning behind it. Currently, I have a job and a career that I’ m lucky and fortunate to be passionate about— where it doesn’ t feel like work. It feels like you’ re having a lot of fun on a path to accomplishing something that is much more than just helping myself or my co-workers. barry hullett: One of the things that really motivates me, to be honest, is to do everything I can to preserve the precious manufacturing jobs that are still remaining in this great country we live in. Manufacturing jobs are what fuels the economy.
I think, from memory, in 1960 about a quarter of the workforce was in manufacturing jobs. Last I heard, we’ re at about 8 percent manufacturing now. That’ s a huge decline and it’ s continuing to decline.
Employees here enjoy family wage jobs and they create three other jobs in the economy. We still have to provide family-wage jobs for youth who are entering the workforce and who are not pursuing a college degree.
I really strive to see what we can do to preserve the U. S. manufacturing base. brian forth: My first professional job out of college was as an elementary school teacher, so I’ ve always approached things from the mentoring, educating and helping people solve a problem or
Shiloh Schauer, executive director of the Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce, at a 2015 meeting of the AWB Grassroots Alliance.
I’ m second generation in the aluminum business. My dad was in the purchasing area at a smelter. When I graduated from high school, I went to work directly in the smelter a week later. I needed to do that to get funds for college.
— Barry Hullett, baby boomer
improve themselves. I’ ve never been super motivated by money. I am the first born, and I am not sure if that has to do with this side of me, but I never want to let anyone down. It’ s very important to me to keep people around me— my customers as well as my staff— very happy and make sure they know what’ s expected of them and that I emulate the values I’ m asking them to share. jack lamb: Happy people— that’ s number one. If I go through a week and it’ s all smiles, no one is bickering at each other and the issues aren’ t there then that to me is when it’ s being done right. We do everything that we can to keep our employees smiling. And that transitions to our customers as well. Everything that I do, it’ s really for Bellingham. I was, and still am so obsessed with this town. I fell in love with the connection to the outdoors and who the community is at its core. It motivated me to create something cool for this town. wayne j. martin: The bottom line for me is the challenge. What I really liked about science in particular— that’ s been the basis of what I’ ve focused on or liked through school and my job as a scientist— is the unknown, being challenged with the unknowns. So, I don’ t really like jobs where everything is right in front of you and there’ s no striving. When I look at what motivates me at work it’ s having
34 association of washington business