OLYMPIA — The Association of Washington Business is pleased to honor Creigh H. Agnew, retired Weyerhaeuser vice president, as the recipient of this year’s S. Fred Bruhn Award. Agnew will be presented with the award this Thursday, Sept. 25 at the 19th Annual AWB Policy Summit at Semiahmoo Resort. The award is given in recognition of her service on AWB’s board of directors, executive committee and as chair of the association’s Governmental Affairs Council.
“Creigh is not only one of the state’s most distinguished and accomplished leaders, but she is a genuinely nice person who cares about people and those she associates with,” said AWB President Don C. Brunell. “She is most deserving and our committee of past recipients made an excellent selection.”
Agnew chaired AWB’s governmental affairs council and the association’s board of directors in 2006. Born in Everett, Agnew graduated from the University of Washington with a Master of Arts degree in public administration and Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. She also attended the Senior Managers in Government program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
After her graduation from the U.W. she and her husband, Rick, relocated to Washington, D.C., where she first became involved with government affairs. In late 1979, Agnew began working for Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., as a legislative assistant. She managed his work on the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Forest Service budget. Agnew became Dicks’ staff expert on natural resource issues.
A year later, momentous change came to Washington’s senatorial delegation when voters replaced Democrat Magnuson with Republican Slade Gorton. In an era when partisanship was less intense, Gorton crossed the aisle and recruited Agnew to work on natural resource policy issues.
In 1986, Agnew joined the private sector and lobbied for Weyerhaeuser in Washington, D.C. After six years in D.C., Agnew returned to the Northwest and lobbied for Weyerhaeuser in Olympia. Then, in 1986, she became Weyerhaeuser’s vice president of government affairs and corporate contributions.
In 2007, Agnew retired from Weyerhaeuser and currently represents AWB on the state’s workforce education and coordinating board. She is also on the board of Sterling Savings Bank in Spokane.
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:
1989 S. Fred Bruhn, Safeco, Seattle
1990 Dave Clack, Clack and Co., Spokane
1991 George Walker, US West, Seattle
1992 Luke Williams, American Sign and Indicator, Spokane (posthumously awarded)
1993 Larry Stanley, Empire Bolt and Screw, Spokane
1994 Doug Marshall, Darigold, Seattle
1995 Ambassador Della Newman, Village Real Estate, Seattle
1996 Greg Tisdel, Tiz’s Doors, Everett
1997 John McAlister, TreeTop, Selah (posthumously awarded)
1998 Martin Wistisen, AgriNorthwest, Pasco (posthumously awarded) and Ron Rants, The Rants Group, Olympia
1999 Forrest “Bud” Coffey, The Boeing Co., Seattle
2000 Phyllis Campbell, U.S. Bank, Seattle
2001 Tom Lemly, Davis Wright Tremaine, Seattle
2002 Wes Uhlman, Wes Uhlman and Associates, Seattle
2003 Rosemary Brester, Hobart Machined Products, Hobart
2004 Jack McRae, Premera Blue Cross, Seattle
2005 Don Dennis, CenturyTel, Gig Harbor
2006 Lori Blau, Ponderay Newsprint, Usk
2007 Mike Bernard, Madison Cook, Bellevue
2008 Creigh H. Agnew, Weyerhaeuser, Federal Way
About the Association of Washington Business
Formed in 1904, the Association of Washington Business is Washington’s oldest and largest statewide business association, serving as both the state’s chamber of commerce and the manufacturing and technology association. While its 6,500 members include 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.
