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14th Annual AWB Policy Summit is a Huge Success Employers prepare for 2004 Legislative Session |
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Written On: November/December 2003 |
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Written By: By Scott Carlson |
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AWB’s 2003 Policy Summit combined fun, recreation and beautiful scenery with in-depth policy discussions and planning. Under the shadow of Mount Baker, at Blaine’s Semiahmoo Resort, nearly 300 AWB members prioritized Washington’s most important employer issues. Tort reform, boosting energy generation and transmission, ergonomics and reforming the permitting process emerged as top concerns.
A high tech polling system helped streamline the process. Members used individual handsets from Elway Research Inc. to answer questions and vote on topics. In minutes, AWB’s priorities for the 2004 legislative session emerged as member’s rated topics in importance.
“I liked the immediate feedback,” said former AWB Chair Heidi Stanley “I’ve been thinking about using it with our management team at Sterling Bank.”
Members from a broad spectrum of industries gathered in breakout sessions where fiscal, workforce, education, regulatory and infrastructure issues were discussed and prioritized. AWB’s governmental affairs ably guided these sessions.
“The breakout sessions allowed our members to use the information they received from WashACE reports earlier in the summit, then provide us with issues that may have been overlooked from their own experiences, and then help us prioritize all of the input,” said AWB President Don Brunell.
“I think Policy Summit has a lot to do with the shaping of the coalition of business forces in Washington,” said the Washington Research Council’s Dick Davis. “I think it’s the one opportunity of the year where everybody gets a chance to step outside their day-to-day activities, think about their future and what they want it to be; and in that way, it has a very positive impact.
“I think the primary benefit comes to the people who participate and come out of it with a better understanding of how their issues fit into the larger employer context.”
“I think this year in particular, there have been a couple changes that have been very effective,” Stanley said. “First, instead of having someone come and lecture us for an hour, we had panels representing a diverse number of subjects speaking, and it’s been very effective. You get a dialogue going back and forth, versus a lecture.
“Second, I think it works very well to have the panels moderated by Denny (Heck). He forces them get off their scripts, therefore, it becomes a more dynamic discussion.”
After two days of dynamic discussions, AWB members were able to relax during an atypically informal Thursday night reception and dinner. Sporting Mariners garb, attendees spent the evening with a number of representatives from the Seattle baseball organization, including the Mariner Moose.
Mariners’ Executive Vice-President of Business Operations Bob Aylward warmed up the audience and opened the floor for a panel that included Former Mariners’ third baseman Mike Blowers and sports commentator “New York” Vinnie Richichi from KIRO News Radio.
“It’s an opportunity for a lot of people from all over the state, plus a healthy dose from Olympia, which is my neighborhood, to come together away from it all and interact, both professionally and socially,” said former TVW President Denny Heck. “I thoroughly enjoy this, and frankly, I always have.”
AWB’s governmental affairs team will take the members’ input and form a plan to promote the agenda when the Legislature convenes.
“I think it’s important for the business community to set an agenda and set its policies as we go into the next legislative session, so that we demonstrate to the legislators and other members of government that we’re united in our approach to policies in the state of Washington,” said 2003 Policy Summit Chair Kirk Nelson. “I think as you look around this room, you see large and small businesses represented. I’m not sure there’s any other organization that can bring together these two groups. AWB is truly the voice of business in this state.”
Sidebar: A Conversation with Governor Locke
AWB members who attended the 2003 AWB Policy Summit were privy to an intimate conversation with Washington’s 21st governor, Gary Locke, which was moderated by former TVW president Denny Heck.
During the Denny Heck-moderated sit-down, Locke offered listeners a sneak preview into a few of his plans for the 2004 Legislative Session.
The Legislature still has many Washington Competitiveness Council recommendations to implement, Locke stated during the interview.
“Of course, the Competitiveness Council focused heavily, not only on transportation and regulatory reform, but also human capital,” Locke said. “That’s one part of the recommendations of the competitiveness council.”
The council’s suggestions include providing an educated workforce, job training and retraining, quality research institutions, and stressing higher education.
“That’s a part we really need to tackle,” Locke said.
While on the topic of economic development, Heck questioned three specific tax exemptions scheduled to “sunset” in 2004; two dealing with high tech and one relating to capital investments in rural communities.
Locke said he will request an extension of these tax exemptions in January.
All eyes were on the two for the entire 62 minutes they were on stage.
“I totally enjoyed it,” said Pam McEwan, Group Health Cooperative. “The governor has announced that he’s not running (for re-election) and Denny Heck has retired from his position. They both seemed just completely relaxed and … completely honest. The conversation was very driven and lightened.”
Heck shared his viewers’ enjoyment.
“I think it’s a delightful opportunity for most people,” Heck said. “Firstly, most people never see the governor in person. Secondly, when they see him, they see him in 17-second sound bites on television. It’s a rare, rare opportunity to be in the same room with the governor of the state, listening to him answer questions, which he doesn’t have ahead of time, for 60 minutes. That’s special. And I think most people realize that.”
Sidebar: Thank You, Sponsors!
GOLF
Altria Corporate Services, Inc
MAJOR SPONSORS
Alaska Airlines, Inc.
AT&T
Avista Corp.
BP
Bank of America
Burlington Northern & Santa Fe
CH2M HILL
Chevron U.S.A., Inc.
CompManagement, Inc.
Costco Wholesale
Davis Wright Tremaine
Eli Lilly & Co.
Express Personnel
Fluor Hanford
Frank Russell Company
GE Capital
Georgia-Pacific Corporation
Group Health Cooperative
Hewlett-Packard
Household Finance
Lane Powell Spears Lubersky LLP
Microsoft
Monsanto Company
Northwest Strategies
PacifiCorp
PEMCO Financial Services
Premera Blue Cross
Puget Sound Energy
Qwest
Simpson Investment Company
Simpson Resource Company
State Farm Insurance Company
Sterling Savings Bank
The Boeing Company
WA Forest Protection Assn.
WestCoast Hospitality Corp.
Weyerhaeuser Company
Workforcecollege.com
OTHERS CONTRIBUTING
Advocates, Inc.
Batdorf & Bronson
Budget Truck Rentals
Dick’s Drive-Ins, LTD, LP
Hobart Machined Products
Northwest Embroidery
Schweitzer Engineering Labs
Skagit Gardens
Stretch Island Fruit, Inc.
Tim’s Cascade Chips
Tree Top
Washington State Potato Commission
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