Washington Business Winter 2018 | Washington Business | Page 9

washington business Rural Jobs Summit Comes to Moses Lake From the Canadian border to the Columbia River, from the Olympic Peninsula to the Palouse, much of Washington has yet to experience the economic recovery seen in the Puget Sound region. Recognizing the struggles of those areas outside the King-Snohomish county metroplex, AWB hosted a successful gathering in Olympia last spring to look at ways to bring economic prosperity to every part of the state. Building on that standing-room-only event, the year’s second Rural Jobs Summit in Moses Lake this October was designed with a focus on identifying the issues and finding solutions. An evening reception Oct. 23 and a full day of discussions Oct. 24 were built around bringing people together, priva te-sector leaders such as Alex McGregor, president of The McGregor Company, along with top state officials like Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, and the leaders of both chambers of the Legislature, then Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, and Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, D-Seattle. The work continues to build a cross-state, cross-party Rural Caucus in the Legislature that can collaborate to bring economic prosperity to the small towns and communities in every corner of Washington. To learn more, contact AWB Government Affairs Director Mike Ennis at [email protected]. AWB Joins Discussion on ‘Innovation Across Borders’ at MEX AM Northwest Festival AWB President Kris Johnson joined a discussion on international business during a weeklong festival celebrating and showcasing Mexican culture, art and business in Seattle on Sept. 13. The Mexican Consulate in Seattle invited Johnson to be part of a talk entitled “Rethinking Mexico: Innovation Across Borders.” Johnson talked with executives from top Mexican companies and leading Washington employers during the wide-ranging MEX AM Northwest Festival in Seattle. The event was a warm-up of sorts to Policy Summit a week later. Both the Mexican and Canadian consuls spoke at the 28th annual Policy Summit as part of a focus on federal issues. winter 2018 9