washington business
awards honor leadership
Employers and elected leaders who have gone above and beyond to
help improve the state’s business climate received honors during the
2015 Policy Summit.
Deputy Majority Leader Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, received the
annual Matson Award for his work in the 2015 legislative session on
the operating budget, tax fairness issues and key water issues, such
as storage, stormwater and flooding. Republican Majority Leader Sen.
Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, accepted the award on behalf of Braun,
who was unable to attend due to military reserve duty.
Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, accepts the Leadership Award.
AWB presented a new Leadership Award to Sen. Curtis King,
R-Yakima, and Rep. Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island, the two
legislative leaders who worked tirelessly for years to put together a
bipartisan transportation package.
AWB Board Chair Mike Schwenk presented the Heavy Lifter Award
to AWB members who have gone the extra mile as champions for the
employer community:
Kristal Fiser, director of state government affairs, Northwest District,
for UPS, was a solid voice for recognition by the Legislature that the
state should not overlook the importance of the use of alternative
fuels to lower carbon emissions and grow the use of alternative fueloperated fleets.
Ken Johnson, corporate environmental manager at Weyerhaeuser
Company, was a great help to AWB on crafting the bipartisan,
collaborative water quality rule drafted by the state Department of
Ecology.
Tim O’Connell, attorney at Stoel Rives LLP, shared his legal expertise
with the Legislature on workforce issues important to improving the
state’s business and regulatory climate.
JoReen Brinkman, owner of JCB Hospitality LLC, was a leader in the
efforts to educate lawmakers on the impacts that a minimum wage
increase would have on small businesses and their employees in
Washington state.
Other recipients were unable to attend and were presented the award
later:
Lee Anne Caylor, chief of staff for Microsoft Learning eXperiences,
was honored for her education advocacy and work to implement the
federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
Alisha Benson, vice president of education and workforce at Greater
Spokane Incorporated, was an integral part of the work done to ensure
Washington state was ready to implement the federal Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act by this year’s deadline.
Annette Herup, head of human resources for SGL Automotive Carbon
Fibers LLC, offered her insights into the workforce needs of high-tech
manufacturing employers to ensure the federal Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act is implemented in a way that prepares the next
generation of workers in the growing manufacturing sector.
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