OLYMPIA— The Association of Washington Business is proud to honor Jeffrey L. Gingold, shareholder with Lane Powell PC, with this year’s S. Fred Bruhn Award. Gingold will receive this honor on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at the 21st Annual AWB Policy Summit at Semiahmoo Resort. The award recognizes his many contributions to AWB, including his service on its board of directors and the valuable legal advice he provides for the association’s retrospective ratings program and HealthChoice plan.

“It’s hard to calculate the number of hours Jeff Gingold has dedicated to the Association of Washington Business,” said Don Brunell, president of AWB. “In so many ways he reminds me of Fred Bruhn because Fred gave so much of his time to make sure AWB was successful. Jeff is the same way,” he said. “Jeff  is always there when you need him and regardless of how busy he is, he always finds the time to help us,” he added. “He is more than deserving.”

Gingold has served on the association’s Executive Board Committee, and served on various other committees, including Education and Training, Health Care and Transportation. This year, as AWB’s Policy Summit chair, he is organizing the event, developing the agenda and lining up speakers. Additionally, Gingold has been an integral part of AWB’s judicial endorsement process. 

“Jeff’s knowledge of the issues surrounding the Supreme Court has been very helpful as AWB determines which judicial candidates to support,” said Kris Tefft, AWB’s general counsel. “We really appreciate Jeff’s hard work and many contributions to the process.” 

Gingold received a B.A. from Washington and Lee University, in 1971, and a J.D. from The John Marshall Law School in 1971. In 1979, he received a LL.M. in international law from the New York University School of Law.

After clerking on the Superior Court of New Jersey, in 1976 and 1977, Gingold was an attorney with New Jersey’s Office of Public Defender (1977-81) and National Farmers Union Insurance Companies (1981-83).  From 1983 to 1987, he served as assistant vice president and counsel for Great-West Life Assurance Company. In 1987, he joined Blue Cross of Washington and Alaska as a general counsel, later becoming senior vice president.

Gingold has practiced law with Lane Powell PC since 1994. He is an expert on health care and insurance law.

The coveted Bruhn Award was established to honor former Safeco Senior Vice President S. Fred Bruhn, a longtime AWB board member and governmental council chairman. It is presented annually to recognize those board members who give of themselves and their time to improve AWB and the business climate in Washington.

Past Bruhn award winners include:

2009 Brad Carlson, Evergreen Memorial Gardens, Vancouver
2008 Creigh H. Agnew, Weyerhaeuser, Federal Way
2007 Mike Bernard, Madison Cook, Bellevue
2006 Lori Blau, Ponderay Newsprint, Usk
2005 Don Dennis, CenturyTel, Gig Harbor
2004 Jack McRae, Premera Blue Cross, Seattle
2003 Rosemary Brester, Hobart Machined Products, Hobart
2002 Wes Uhlman, Wes Uhlman and Associates, Seattle
2001 Tom Lemly, Davis Wright Tremaine, Seattle
2000 Phyllis Campbell, U.S. Bank, Seattle
1999 Forrest “Bud” Coffey, The Boeing Co., Seattle
1998 Martin Wistisen, AgriNorthwest, Pasco (posthumously awarded) and Ron Rants, The
         Rants Group, Olympia
1997  John McAlister, TreeTop, Selah (posthumously awarded)
1996  Greg Tisdel, Tiz’s Doors, Everett
1995  Ambassador Della Newman, Village Real Estate, Seattle
1994 Doug Marshall, Darigold, Seattle
1993 Larry Stanley, Empire Bolt and Screw, Spokane
1992  Luke Williams, American Sign and Indicator, Spokane (posthumously awarded)
1991 George Walker, US West, Seattle
1990 Dave Clack, Clack and Co., Spokane
1989 S. Fred Bruhn, Safeco, Seattle


About the Association of Washington Business
Formed in 1904, the Association of Washington Business is Washington’s oldest and largest statewide business association, and includes more than 7,000 members representing 650,000 employees. AWB serves as both the state’s chamber of commerce and the manufacturing and technology association. While its membership includes major employers like Boeing, Microsoft and Weyerhaeuser, 90 percent of AWB members employ fewer than 100 people. More than half of AWB’s members employ fewer than 10. For more about AWB, visit www.awb.org.