Washington Business Winter 2019 | Washington Business | Page 8

Inside AWB Membership Team Welcomes New Staff The AWB membership team has welcomed several new members over the past couple of months. The new staff members will work to ensure AWB members get the service they need when joining, renewing or simply inquiring about the many benefits of membership. The new membership managers include: Jenny VanBlargan has experience in customer care and service from retail sales and management to social media. She also runs her own small business. Kenneth ‘Kenny” Aultman is a five-year Army veteran who served as a combat medic for the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. He was honorably discharged after his service, ultimately achieving the rank of sergeant. Kenny came to the association from his previous career at Titus Will Automotive Group in Olympia. Laura Bruce moved to Washington state from Austin, Texas. She has supported Rely Local in Thurston County for the last year and prior to that she ran an entrepreneurs’ publication in Austin where she was responsible for ad sales and general business development. Nicholas Steele has run several local businesses, including an insurance brokerage focusing on complex benefit strategies for employers, which has given him the skillset to understand the challenges each of our members face daily. Richelle “Shelly” Simpson has experience that spans from customer service to sales. Before joining AWB, she worked with PCC Logistics in Tacoma and Expeditors in SeaTac. They join veteran Membership Manager Braedon Wilkerson. “We’re happy to have assembled such a strong team to serve our current members and grow our membership today and into the future,” said Sean Heiner, AWB director of membership. For more information on membership and the benefits of joining AWB, contact Heiner at 360.943.1600 or [email protected]. AWB President Chosen to Serve on National Manufacturing Boards AWB President Kris Johnson was appointed to serve as a voice for manufacturing in Washington state on two boards: The Council of State Manufacturing Associations (COSMA) and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). COSMA is a branch council of the NAM. Designated by NAM as Washington state’s Manufacturing Association, AWB, under Johnson’s tenure, has highlighted the importance of Washington’s manufacturing sector for communities as well as the state and national economies. The cornerstone of that effort is the annual Manufacturing Week bus tour, which made its rounds across Washington state Oct. 4-12. In its second year, the custom-wrapped bus traveled more than 2,200 miles and made more than 50 shop floor visits — from downtown Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula to Starbuck and Spokane — to highlight the high-paying, high-tech jobs in the sector and what they mean to communities and families. In 2015, AWB also hosted Jay Timmons, president and CEO of NAM, for the group’s national manufacturing tour during its first and only visit to Washington state. COSMA and NAM assemble boards of diverse and experienced individuals from across the country to gain insight and perspective and offer solutions on a wide range of policy issues specific to manufacturing. Johnson began his service as a board member of NAM and as vice chairman of COSMA on Jan. 1. AWB Staffer Pens Book on Northwest Pioneer Brian Mittge, a member of AWB’s communications team, is also the co-author of a newly published book. “George Washington of Centralia” tells the story of a remarkable African-American pioneer and early Washington Territory settler who founded the town of Centerville, later renamed Centralia. Mittge, AWB’s photo editor and a staff writer, worked on the biography for three years as a labor of love. It was released in August as part of a community- wide celebration honoring Washington’s 200th birthday. Mittge also helped lead a successful effort to create and install a bronze statue of Washington and his wife, Mary Jane, in downtown Centralia. Mittge and his co-author donated all proceeds from the first 250 copies of the book to a new scholarship endowment fund at Centralia College in honor of George and Mary Jane Washington. “George Washington of Centralia” is available at Book ‘n’ Brush in Centralia and will be available at Amazon. 8 association of washington business