Washington Business Winter 2015 | Page 34

business backgrounder | education & workforce A Lofty Prize Share your business with top decision makers in Washington state. Washington Business magazine is distributed to more than 8,000 subscribers ranging from CEOs and managers to owners of small, medium and large businesses statewide. Our readers—including top executives, industry leaders and state and national lawmakers—are your customers. Target your message and get results with Washington Business magazine. To inquire about our rates: Call: 360.736.8065 E-mail: [email protected] Download a rate card: www.awb.org/WaBusinessAds 34 association of washington business Longtime AWB board member Dolores Kyle of Superior Insurance Services brought down the house with her emotional reaction to winning a pair of tickets to anywhere Alaska Airlines flies during a drawing at September’s Policy Summit. Brian Mittge It’s always exciting to win a door prize, but Dolores Kyle’s enthusiastic response to winning two Alaska Airlines tickets at Policy Summit was particularly impressive. When Alaska CEO Brad Tilden drew the stub and read the number to give away the pair of tickets to anywhere his airline flies, Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden presents free airline Kyle’s reaction could be tickets to longtime AWB member Dolores Kyle at Policy Summit. seen and heard across the ballroom. “I jumped out of my seat and said, ‘Oh my God!’ I was totally blown away, I really was,” said Kyle. Tilden congratulated her with a hug. Kyle told him she would use the tickets to fly down to Arizona for a visit with her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, but now she’s considering other options as well. Perhaps a trip to San Francisco. “I’m still formulating plans,” she said. Kyle said her late husband, Bill Kyle, wouldn’t have waited. They would have used the tickets within a week. He was that kind of guy. If he took her to a restaurant, he would call ahead to have a dozen roses waiting on the table. Bill, an active AWB board member, died six years ago, shortly before their 60th wedding anniversary. She fondly remembers the cake they enjoyed the year before with the icing message “Fifty-nine years, no regrets.” When Bill became sick, then-AWB President Don Brunell asked Kyle if she would take over his seat on the AWB Board of Directors. While she hesitated at first, she accepted the offer in the fall of 2007 and said it has been a great experience. Kyle, who runs Superior Insurance Services, the family’s medical insurance sales firm, said she enjoys meeting and mingling at AWB events — but it’s the association’s advocacy for small businesses that mea