washington business
In Their Words
At the end of the year , Mike Schwenk will conclude his term as chair of the AWB Institute . During his tenure , Schwenk oversaw a period of major transition and growth of the institute , transforming it from an organization focused on workforce issues to one that aims to set Washington ’ s long-term economic vision and tackle some of the state ’ s biggest unmet challenges .
Schwenk , who previously served as chair of AWB ’ s board of directors for two terms , views the broad , high-level goals for the institute and its recently launched Washington in the Making campaign as an ideal complement to AWB ’ s work on timely , session-related issues . Executive Editor Jason Hagey spoke with Schwenk about his tenure with both AWB and the AWB Institute , and his hopes for its future .
How did you first become involved with AWB ?
It goes back a long way . In those days , interacting with AWB happened on occasion and I sort of drifted in and out of the organization over the years , just as a member or with the company I worked for . When I finally landed at Battelle at the Pacific Northwest National Lab , the conversation about Battelle ’ s involvement in AWB deepened . The National Lab ’ s role in the state became a bigger question . We always had a federal focus , not a whole lot of a state focus . And so , we sort of upped the deal on our membership . Ultimately , over time , the next thing you know , you ’ re on the board of directors and then you ’ re on committees .
Did you ever think that you would end up being chair of AWB ?
Never , no . I didn ’ t have any of those kinds of aspirations .
How much did you know about the AWB Institute ?
I didn ’ t know we had one !
Once you found out about the institute , when did you start to see it as something that would have potential for shaping an economic vision for the state ?
AWB did a survey several years ago and this word cloud came back showing it was an organization that says no to everything . That ’ s not a good way to be known . That was an eye-opener . We began thinking , ‘ well , how do we get to a yes ? Or , what or how do we get into the solutions game here ?’ And so that started the journey to what is this institute thing is , and how can we set up a place where we ’ re not fighting the daily fires , but it can be thoughtful and think over the horizon . We said , ‘ Well , let ’ s make the institute the place where we can take a deep breath and look at the horizon , or over the horizon and think in 10-year blocks , not the next legislative session .’
What was the need that you saw for Washington as a state ?
I ’ ve been involved in statewide economic development plans and strategies since the late 80s , all the way back to ( Gov .) Booth Gardener and what we called Team Washington , which was probably the best state program I ’ ve ever seen for economic development .
The charter of the ( AWB ) institute is all about workforce and economic development , but we really weren ’ t doing anything .
And guess what ? The state doesn ’ t have a strategy , either . The last one was from the Economic Development Commission , and I was appointed by Governor Gregoire on that . We finished that plan and delivered it as the governor finished her second term . The new governor comes in and — this happens every time a new governor comes in — says , ‘ that was that person ’ s plan , it ’ s not mine .’ And that ’ s the end of it . It ’ s a shame . Given how long it takes to make economic development happen it ’ s frustrating when , by the time you get a plan written and you build consensus , it ’ s over . So , it was pretty simple to say , well hey , we have economic development in the institution ’ s charter and this is a strategy and a game plan and a vision . Then we could start figuring out the ‘ yes .’
16 association of washington business