Washington Business Winter 2015 | Page 41

business backgrounder | education & workforce The program kicked off in September at AWB’s annual Policy Summit. Participants got an overview of what they will be doing for the next year, and they had a chance to network with business leaders, legislators and state agency officials during AWB’s biggest gathering of the year. In October, they met in the Tri-Cities where they learned about the work going on at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and they got a taste of Washington’s sizable agriculture sector with stops at ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston — where they sampled french fries — and Broetje Orchards — where they sampled apples. www.awbinstitute.org/leadership additional information Inaugural Leadership Washington class • Paige Davis, Seattle, Lane Powell • Benjamin Doornink, Spokane, Center of Occupational Health and Education (COHE) Community of Eastern Washington • Emily Fleury, Spokane, Inland Northwest Health Services • Annette Herup, Moses Lake, SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers • David Howell, Spokane, Avista Corp. • Valerie Langston, Tacoma, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance • Gordon W. Matlock, Seattle, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Leadership Washington participants visit the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s aquatics research lab in October. “The more I know about my industry and the state, the better advocate I can be.” — Benjamin Doornink, program manager for the Center of Occupational Health and Education (COHE) Community of Eas ѕɸ