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Home / Washington Business - January/February 2004 / Lobbyists Pick Clif Finch as Gjerde Winner |
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Lobbyists Pick Clif Finch as Gjerde Winner |
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Written On: January/February 2004 |
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Written By: By Scott Carlson |
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Eighteen years ago, Clif Finch made a vow to AWB President Don Brunell that he would never become a lobbyist. At the time he was a budding young attorney fresh out of University of Puget Sound Law School and a legal intern for the Association of Washington Business.
Fortunately for AWB, this was one promise “Clif,” as he is known to AWB members, legislators and adversaries, was destined not to keep. Indeed, Clif and his legend are now synonymous with lobbying for the protection and interests of state businesses.
AWB recognized his contributions and honored Finch with 2003’s Ron Gjerde Award on September 25 at the Policy Summit. “Clif” was chosen by his peers for AWB’s top lobbying award named in honor of Weyerhaeuser lobbyist Ron Gjerde who died 11 years ago. Gjerde was a long-time member of AWB’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee.
“I personally knew Ron Gjerde, and to receive an award named after him, by itself, made it very humbling,” Finch said. “He was a special person.”
Finch, who was AWB’s director of human resources policy and chief legal council for almost two decades, retired from the AWB last July. He is now Executive Director of the Washington Food Industry Association.
“What makes this award so important is the fact that it is awarded by your fellow business community lobbyists,” Finch said. “AWB staff lobbyists face unique challenges in their efforts to represent all industries in Washington State and need to systemically influence public policy at the state agency as well as legislative levels. For an AWB lobbyist to receive this award is a wonderful validation that what we do at AWB.”
Among other responsibilities, Finch staffed AWB committees on employment law, unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation. A Seattle native and graduate of the University of Puget Sound Law School, Finch is a member of a number of state advisory committees including the Dept. of Labor & Industries Workers’ Compensation Advisory Committee.
“Lobbying is one of the last outposts of pure entrepreneurship. Whether you have a law degree or only a high school diploma will make little difference. What will count is your performance,” Finch added.
Brunell said. “For nearly 20 years, Clif was one of the biggest and most influential voices in Olympia. He is well respected by his peers today although when he first started lobbying he was a bit intimidating.”
“Clif is an intense, big guy at six foot eight inches,” Brunell said. “He stepped into the employment law issues which are very intense. The first thing I had to convince Clif to do was holster his first two fingers. He’d get into deep conversations with legislators about workers comp or unemployment insurance and those fingers became lethal weapons. People would start backing up for fear those fingers would get accidentally lost in their chest or forehead.”
Folks who know “Clif” know he is unique. He is a kind person and a big teddy bear, Brunell concluded. “He loves to regale people with stories from his Army days in Europe and would often tell our Board that every issue he lobbied was the single most important one ever facing the employer community. And to him, they were!”
Previous winners of the Ron Gjerde award include:
• Duke Schaub
Associated General Contractors, Olympia
• Dick Ducharme
Contract lobbyist, Starbuck
• Rob Makin
Boeing, Seattle
• Greg Hanon
COMMUNICO, Sumner
• Curt Copenhagen
Longview Fibre, Longview
• Vito Chiechi
Chiechi and Associates, Olympia
• Jim Halstrom
Halstrom Associates, Ellensburg
• Kathleen Collins
Contract lobbyist, Olympia
• Enid Layes
Retired AWB vice president of
governmental affairs, Olympia
• Dan Coyne
Coyne Jesernig, Olympia
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