washington business editorial staff
Kris Johnson , Publisher Jason Hagey , Executive Editor Brian Mittge , Staff Writer / Photo Editor Brian Temple , Director of Media & Technology Jay Hember , Senior Art Director
What ’ s Ahead awb officers
Laura Lawton , Chair Lawton Printing Services , Spokane
Dave Rankin , Vice Chair Rankin Equipment Co ., Yakima
Roy Heynderickx , Secretary / Treasurer Saint Martin ’ s University , Lacey
Paula Linnen , Immediate Past Chair Batelle , Richland
awb leadership team
Kris Johnson , President Dave Mastin , VP , Government Affairs Gary Chandler , VP , Strategic Development Jason Hagey , VP , Communications Greg Welch , Director of Finance Sean Heiner , Director of Membership
Carly Michael , Director of Member Relations & Events
PO Box 658 , Olympia , WA 98507-0658 T 360.943.1600 F 360.943.5811 www . awb . org
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Enduring Traditions
Jason Hagey , Executive Editor
The last time we featured AWB ’ s Evening of Excellence award winners on the cover of this magazine was six years ago . It was the inaugural year for the Evening of Excellence , our swanky new program that consolidated all our awards into one elegant night out on the town .
Six years later , the Evening of Excellence is bigger and better than ever — and back on the cover . This year ’ s red-carpet party was at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center , and it included not only the Washington Excellence Awards , but also the Washington Manufacturing Awards — 13 categories in total . Contributing writer Debbie Ritenour rounded up all the highlights into one story beginning on page 26 . There ’ s a lot to celebrate .
Less than a year after that first Evening of Excellence , we took off in a vinylwrapped bus for AWB ’ s first-ever Manufacturing Week bus tour , launching another tradition . We were back on the road last fall for the sixth-annual tour , which unexpectedly took on a bit of a Mars theme . Staff photographer Brian Mittge did double-duty by shooting all the photos along the way and writing the report that begins on page 22 .
Manufacturing was in the news in August when President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law . This was great news for our state and something that came up during the bus tour . Contributing writer Richard Davis explains the significance of the new law in an article beginning on page 38 .
Another August news event , the primary election , saw six-term Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler narrowly finish in third place . I had an opportunity to speak with her late last year as she was preparing to wrap up her tenure in Congress . In the interview ( beginning on page 18 ), she reflects on her major accomplishments , including co-founding the bipartisan Maternity Care Caucus , and shares her candid thoughts about the state of our nation ’ s political divide .
Although summer might feel a long way off , now is the time of year when employers and students alike are thinking ahead toward internships . The AWB Institute ’ s Workforce Portal ( see article on page 42 ) is a great — and growing — resource for helping to match up employers looking for interns and students looking for internships .
Finally , make sure you check out this issue ’ s DBA feature in the back of the book ( page 54 ). It features Naked Prosthetics , an Olympia manufacturer of prosthetic devices for people with finger and partial-hand amputations . We toured their facility in October as part of the Manufacturing Week bus tour and in a tour filled with memorable moments , this company and the impact it has on its customers stood out .
Thanks for reading . washingtonbusinessmag . com winter 2023 5