SPOKANE— The Association of Washington Business honored 31 businesses and non-profit organizations Tuesday night for outstanding efforts in community service during its annual Spring Board Meeting in Spokane.

AWB’s annual Community Service Awards recognize member companies of all sizes and types across the state for the contributions and volunteerism that make our communities better places to live and work. Awards are presented in five categories: education, helping people in need, projects that mobilize people, recognizing volunteerism and youth organizations.

“The winners of this year’s Community Service Awards have worked hard to make a difference in the lives of thousands of people here in Washington state,” said AWB President Don Brunell. “We are proud to honor these businesses and community organizations. Their efforts, particularly during these difficult economic times, are deeply appreciated.”

This year’s Community Service Awards were presented to:

• AAA Washington (Bellevue)
• Alcoa Primary Products, Washington - Intalco Works and Wenatchee Works (Ferndale)
• Another Source (Seattle)
• Builders' Hardware & Supply Co., Inc. (Seattle)
• Cargill Animal Nutrition (Ferndale)
• Check Masters (Lynnwood)
• Cintas Corporation (Tacoma)
• Clark Nuber (Bellevue)
• Cowlitz Bank (Longview)
• Damar Aerosystems (Monroe)
• Doyle Electric, Inc. (Walla Walla)
• Eastern WA Center for Deaf & Hard of Hearing (Spokane)
• Express Employment Professionals (Spokane)
• Far West Agribusiness Association (Spokane)
• Floyd Snider, Inc. (Seattle)
• Greater Spokane Incorporated (Spokane)
• Horizon Distribution, Inc. (Yakima)
• Inland Northwest Health Services (Spokane)
• Intel Corporation (DuPont)
• John B. Carptenter DDS PS (Auburn)
• LeMaster Daniels (Spokane)
• Office Depot Foundation (store locations in WA)
• Pacific Crest Industries (Sumner)
• Pharmacy OneSource, Inc. (Bellevue)
• PricewaterhouseCoopers (Seattle)
• Qwest  (Seattle)
• Sundown M Ranch (Yakima)
• Thurston First Bank (Olympia)
• Valley Medical Center (Renton)
• Verizon Wireless (Bellevue)
• Wal-Mart Stores (Yakima)

During Tuesday night’s awards ceremony, AWB also took the time to recognize five individuals for their civic and community service contributions:

• Former State Superintendent Terry Bergeson: Dr. Bergeson is this year’s recipient of the C. David Gordon Award, an annual award given by AWB in recognition of Washingtonians who distinguished themselves in service to the citizens of the state of Washington. C. David Gordon served as AWB president from 1955-64 and 1966-1979, and is AWB’s Honorary President for Life. Bergeson served three terms as the state’s top schools official and was instrumental in implementing academic standards for students in grades K-12.

• Ralph and Cheryl Broetje, Broetje Orchards: Ralph and Cheryl Broetje built a community on formerly arid land that includes housing for the company’s workforce, as well as daycare and schooling for the children of its workers. Each year, Broetje Orchards donates approximately 75 percent of its profits to local, domestic and international projects. This year, AWB honored the Broetjes with the Bruce A. Briggs Award, an honor presented each year to an AWB member who continues to give back to his or her community. The award was named for the late Bruce A. Briggs, founder and owner of Briggs Nursery in Olympia.

• Judy Coovert, Printcom, and Bill Meacham, The Baldwin Resource Group: This year, AWB introduced a new award to honor Burien businesswoman and longtime association volunteer Judy Coovert for her excellent service to the organization. The first recipient of the award is Bill Meacham, executive vice president of the Baldwin Resource Group and founder and principal of The Meacham Group in Bellevue. Meacham has been extremely helpful to AWB over the years in setting up AWB Agency Services, establishing the annual AWB Services Lecture Series at Seattle Pacific University and helping to shape compensation packages for AWB staff.

For photos of the 2009 awards presentation in Spokane, please visit the AWB Flickr Web site. Complete descriptions of the companies and their award-winning volunteer or community service projects are also available online.


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 6,600 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.