Washington Business Spring 2017 | Washington Business | Page 5
washington business
editorial staff
Kris Johnson, Publisher
Jason Hagey, Executive Editor
Bobbi Cussins, Communications Manager
Brian Mittge, Staff Writer/Photo Editor
Brian Temple, Digital Media Coordinator
Ryan Chambers, Staff Writer
awb officers
Wendy Sancewich, Chair of the Board
RSM, Seattle
Michael Senske, Vice Chair
Pearson Packaging Systems, Spokane
Tom Pucci, Secretary/Treasurer
Expedia, Bellevue
Mike Schwenk, Immediate Past Chair
UniWest, Pasco
awb leadership team
Kris Johnson, President
Gary Chandler, VP, Government Affairs
Jason Hagey, VP, Communications
Greg Welch , Director of Finance
Sean Heiner , Director of Membership
Stephanie Hemphill , Director of Member
Relations & Events
PO Box 658, Olympia, WA 98507-0658
T 360.943.1600 F 360.943.5811
www.awb.org
Letters are welcomed, but must be signed to be consid-
ered for publication. Please include contact information
for verification.
Reproduction of articles appearing in Washington
Business magazine is authorized for personal use only,
with credit given to Washington Business magazine and/
or the Association of Washington Business.
Articles written by outside authors do not necessarily
reflect the views or positions of AWB, its officers, staff
or members.
Products and services advertised in Washington Business
magazine are not necessarily endorsed by AWB, and do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of AWB, its officers,
staff or members.
Washington Business magazine is the official quarterly
publication of the Association of Washington Business.
The annual subscription rate is $24.00, and individual
copies may be purchased for $3.95. For subscription
requests and magazine purchases, please contact the
Association of Washington Business, P.O. Box 658,
Olympia, WA 98507.
washington business is designed by:
Daniels-Brown Communications
T 360.705.3058 www.danielsbrown.com
advertising inquiries may be directed to:
Kelli Schueler, AWB
What’s Ahead
Nothing New Under the Sun
Jason Hagey, Executive Editor
Millennials who bristle at negative stereotypes about your generation, take heart:
Many of the things older folks are saying about you now were said about their
generation a few decades ago.
In the 1990s, Gen Xers were characterized as apathetic, self-absorbed and adrift,
the slackers hanging out in mom and dad’s basement well into adulthood.
The movie “Slacker,” about a group of overeducated twenty-somethings roaming
aimlessly through Austin, Texas, came out in 1991.
A few years later, the movie “Reality Bites” depicted another group of twenty-
something friends struggling to find their place in the world. One is a college graduate
managing a retail clothing store. Another is an unemployed musical “slacker.”
Fast forward a couple decades and many of those early stereotypes are hazy
memories. Members of Generation X are more likely to be viewed as hard-working
and entrepreneurial.
They founded companies like Google, Tesla, Twitter and Dell computers. A 2015
study shows they launched the majority (55 percent) of all new businesses in 2015.
It’s the millennials living in their parents’ basements now, “failing to launch.”
It shouldn’t be too surprising if many of the negative stereotypes currently
attached to the millennial generation turn out to be false, as well.
Nevertheless, it’s true that an unprecedented demographic shift is underway in
the American workforce as baby b oomers retire in ever-greater numbers, Gen Xers
continue to move into leadership positions and the millennial generation becomes
the largest share of the workforce. They’re already there, in fact, at roughly 35
percent. By 2020, millennials will make up half of the workforce.
What does this mean for employers? This issue’s cover story explores some of
the questions by interviewing a total of nine people, three members each from the
baby boom, Gen X and millennial generations. Each generation is interviewed by a
member of their own generation.
It’s interesting to see how their responses are different — and similar.
Elsewhere in the issue, and continuing with the workforce theme, staff writer
Bobbi Cussins interviews futurist Rebecca Ryan about the demographic changes
in the workforce. Ryan was the keynote speaker at the AWB Institute’s first
Workforce Summit in March.
Cussins also interviewed pollster and political consultant Frank Luntz, the keynote
speaker at AWB’s Spring Meeting this year.
And staff writer Brian Mittge looks at the makerspace at Edmonds Community
College, a place where builders and entrepreneurs from all generations can work to
make their ideas a reality.
Those are just a few of the highlights. Whether you’re a boomer, Gen Xer,
millennial or something else, I hope you enjoy reading.
washingtonbusinessmag.com
spring 2017
5