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Of Note

PNNL Chosen by President Obama to Lead
Northwest Manufacturing Center

Alaska Airlines Receives ‘Freedom Award,’ Gets
White House Approval for Flight to Cuba

It has been quite a year for Alaska Airlines.
On June 29, the U.S. Department of Defense announced
Alaska Airlines won the 2016 Freedom Award. It is the
highest recognition given by the federal government for
support of National Guard and Reserve members.
The company was nominated by two employees in
Anchorage, First Officer Caleb Haley, a pilot who serves
in the Air Force Reserve, and Cargo Supervisor Paul
Miller, who serves in the Army National Guard, the
airline reported.
“Alaska Airlines actively recruits, promotes and retains
veterans in all areas of the company and is continually
striving to increase veteran employee rates,” Haley wrote
in the award nomination. “For example, veteran/active
military new hire rates went from 6 percent in 2012 to 15
percent in 2014.”
T h i s n e w s c a m e a we e k p r i o r t o t h e O b a m a
administration giving the green light for Alaska Airlines
to be considered as one airline to add Havana, Cuba, to
its list of destinations outside the U.S. Eight airlines were
proposed by the administration to start the non-stop
passenger and cargo flights now that it has relaxed travel
restrictions between America and Cuba.
In all, a dozen airlines filed applications for commercial
travel to Havana, proposing 60 permitted flights per day.
In August, the U.S. Department of Transportation
finalized approval for eight airlines to serve Cuba.

12 association of washington business

President Barack Obama announced in June that the
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in
Richland was selected to lead the Northwest Regional
Manufacturing Center. It will be one of five smart
manufacturing centers nationwide to help fast-track
technology advances that will reduce energy use in key
manufacturing sectors.
The public-private partnership will focus on some
of Washington state’s most important sectors — food
processing, advanced materials and forest products.
In a statement, Mike Rinker, PNNL's manager of
energy efficiency and renewable energy, said, “The
idea is to fast track development and adoption of
smart sensors and other technologies, providing
manufacturers the information and tools that will allow
better energy management.”
Washington’s U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty
Murray advocated for the selection of PNNL as the new
regional center.
“The Pacific Northwest has a decades-long history
in energy efficiency investments designed to support
a low-cost power system and competitive business
environment,” Cantwell wrote, adding that energy
efficiency programs in the region have created new
ecosystems for company upstarts and business sectors.
The center will partner with experts from Washington
State University, University of Washington, Oregon
State University, Oregon BEST, Montana educational
institutions, Bonneville Power Administration, industry
partners and a host of other organizations across the
Pacific Northwest, according to the Tri-City Herald.