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AWB President to Head State Chambers Group |
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Written On: October 12, 2006 |
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STEVENSON, WA - Association of Washington Business President Don C. Brunell was elected chairman of the Council of State Chambers (COSC), a national organization composed of the CEO's of all state chambers of commerce, at the organization’s annual meeting at Skamania Lodge, near Stevenson.
He succeeds Hunter Howard, president of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, and will serve is position for 2007-08. Previously, he served as COSC vice chairman and treasurer.
Brunell starts his 22nd year at AWB in January. He has been president since 1988 after joining the association in 1986 as its vice president of governmental affairs and chief lobbyist. Prior to coming to AWB, Brunell was Washington public affairs director for Crown Zellerbach (CZ) and was based in Olympia. While working for CZ, Brunell served on AWB’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee and chaired AWB’s Environmental Affairs Council. He is a Montana native and graduate of the University of Montana, Missoula.
Brunell is the first Washington state chamber executive to be elected COSC chairman. In 2000-01, he served as chairman of the National Industrial Council, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), which is the state manufacturing associations president’s group. Only former AWB President C. David Gordon was elected to that position and that was in 1970.
“A key goal for my two-year term is to strengthen the relationship between state chambers across the nation and with local chambers across our state,” Brunell said. “As state chambers, we want to develop strong issue grassroots so, if the U.S. Chamber needs our help on federal issues and state chambers like AWB needs help on state issues, we are speaking with one voice from a common agenda.”
“We recognize our chambers in cities and towns across the state and nation are the backbone of our success,” Brunell concluded. “Our aim is to build a seamless federation to improve our business climate to create jobs and economic opportunities along with a good quality of life for our families.”
AWB is headquartered in Olympia and is recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as Washington state’s chamber of commerce. COSC is headquartered in Lansing, Michigan.
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