Washington Business Summer 2019 | Washington Business | Page 8

Inside Workforce Summit Draws New Interest More than 80 employers, educators and policy experts came together to discuss new ideas and solutions at AWB’s Workforce Summit in March. It was the first AWB event for many attendees. Participants heard from expert panels, then brainstormed solutions while AWB staff summarized the ideas. Several themes emerged from the panel discussions, including the need for companies to experiment with new workforce solutions, stressors that distract employees from their work, and solutions to help build employee loyalty and productivity. Childcare, flexible schedules and better benefits emerged as some ideas to help employers reduce workforce turnover. For more information about workforce issues, please contact Amy Anderson at [email protected]. Anderson Honored for Workforce Training Efforts AWB Communications Team Honored for Magazine, Video, Photo Work Amy Anderson, AWB’s government affairs director for educa- tion, workforce and federal issues, has been inducted into the Western Governors University Washing- ton Sage Society for her work to support student job-skills training. Anderson has been integral to the discussion between state government and private sector leaders as both sides work to create a better workforce training system in Washington. AWB storytellers Andrew Lenderman, Brian Temple and Brian Mittge have been recognized for their work to highlight the very best of Washington’s employer community. WGU welcomed her into its Sage Society earlier this year. Similar to a hall of fame, the Sage Society hon- ors individuals who are committed to high-quality education and the pursuit of learning opportunities for others. Mittge’s coverage of the manufacturing tour earned a gold Hermes award for a story in Washington Business magazine and an honorable mention for a photo book he created. Lenderman received a platinum award in the 2019 Hermes Creative Awards contest for print media writing with a Washington Business magazine feature, “The Global Impact of Cascade Designs.” Cascade Designs is an outdoor equipment manufacturer in Seattle that has dramatically improved backcountry safety and health with innovative products and research. Temple received two gold awards in the same contest for his work on the 2018 Manufacturing Week bus tour and the 2018 Policy Summit highlight videos. The Hermes Creative Awards contest is an international competition for creative professionals. The entries are judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. In addition, AWB was named a winner in the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Communications Excellence award program for its AWB News and AWB Amplified video series. 8 association of washington business