2024 Eastside Leadership Conference boasts over 30 speakers, 400 attendees

The Chamber took over the Microsoft campus this last week with our annual Eastside Leadership Conference — Connecting the Dots: Policy, Politics, and Partnerships. This year, we tackled the inner workings of public-private partnerships and their role in getting projects green-lit, with a mix of legislators, policy aficionados, and business leaders speaking throughout the day.

Candidate Spotlight: Bob Ferguson

To kick things off, we welcomed Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Bob Ferguson to the stage for a shortened version of his stump speech, followed by a brief Q&A with Microsoft’s Colleen Kerr. (Ferguson’s Republican opponent, Dave Reichert, was unable to attend and present, but provided conference-goers a written message in the event program.)

Throughout this portion of the program, Ferguson doubled down on the issues facing our state, notably housing affordability, public safety, the opioid epidemic, and homelessness. He spoke to the difference between his current role as AG and his prospective role as Governor, and mentioned that he has been leaning on former Gov. Gregoire (as well as Gov. Evans’s legacy) as he prepares for the transition. 

After Ferguson’s remarks, the crowd broke into the first set of breakout sessions, one oriented toward Policy, and the other toward Politics. 

Breakout Session #1:

Closing the Skills Gap: Higher Education & Workforce Development
The Speakers: Dr. Amy Morrison (LWTI), Dr. Kelly Aramaki (BSD), Dr. Kristin Esterberg (UWB) 
Moderated by Steve Mullin (Washington Roundtable) 

To frame the discussion on higher ed and workforce development, our moderator Steve Mullin led with some new Roundtable data to give some context of what our workforce is facing. 

According to Mullin, over the next 10 years our state is projecting 1.5 million job openings — which is great — but also a 600,000 shortfall in the workforce. (Not so great.)

One part of the solution? Educational alignment. 

Our panelists, each hailing from a different step in the education pipeline, all advocated for initiatives like career-aligned CTE programs, internships, language learning, and partnerships with local companies. 

“For us, I think we can create classes that align to careers that are in your company,” said BSD Superintendent, Dr. Kelly Aramaki. “So please, work with the school districts. You are free to call me, work with OSPI, and we can create classes that are aligned to the standards that kids can get credit for, and that will get them right into your company, right out of high school, or once they go through a credentialing program or two-to-four-year degree.”

If You Build It: Infrastructure & Transportation 
Speakers: Lance Lyttle (Port of Seattle), David D’Hondt (AGC of Washington), Amy Scarton (HNTB), Dr. Erin Frasier (WA Building Trades)
Moderated by Paula Hammond (WSP) 

Across the hall in our other breakout session, our panelists dove into the rising cost and commitment of funding regional infrastructure projects, led by WSP’s Paula Hammond. 

In doing this, our panelists highlighted the multitude of hurdles slowing down the industry: Impact fees, changing regulations, raw material costs, energy concerns, rising wages, and the construction industry’s swear word … Inefficiency. 

Additionally, the group also discussed the state of the workforce, with each weighing in on the unique challenges their industry is dealing with. 

D'Hondt spoke to the retirement of industry knowledge during the pandemic, Dr. Frasier to the long waiting lists for apprenticeship programs, Lyttle to the programs currently online at SeaTac, and Scarton to the increasing demand for engineers. 

“It strikes me that the enterprise of transportation and infrastructure, we as a group need to have a campaign for our young people to come into our industry and work for one of the most gratifying careers any of these organizations can provide,” said Hammond. “So if you have young people you know, steer them towards us. Transportation infrastructure, as a career, is really something that they can do well in, and for our own economy and well being, we need good workers.”

Same rooms, different speakers — at this point in the agenda, folks intermingled between the breakouts before landing on one of the last two separated panels. 

Breakout Session #2

Let’s Get Moving: Transportation Funding & Priorities 
Speakers: Sen. Marko Liias & Rep. Andrew Barkis 
Moderated by Guy Palumbo (Amazon)

Two officials, different sides of the aisle, agreeing that transportation isn’t a Republican or Democrat issue. With the help of former Senator and Amazon Policy lead in Washington,  Guy Palumbo, leaders from our state legislature and the Joint Transportation Committee, Sen. Liias and Rep. Barkis, joined forces to chew on the billion-dollar hole in our state’s transportation budget, and discuss how the heck we are going to backfill it. 

Both legislators agreed that a great deal of spending reform is necessary, and that we as a state need to decide where our priorities lie. 

“I think if you sample the room today, everybody would have a little different priority,” said Rep. Barkis. “Some are thrilled about the Sound Transit new 2 line opening here. Some would have liked to have that tax revenue going into capacity on their freeways, right? Some are thrilled about transit and all the things it's doing, but others would like to see us do better with our infrastructure.”

“And the ferries? Boy, there's a conversation. But, we must look at the expense side. We must look at reform, and we must look at how to do it better in order to maximize the tax dollars and get the most that we can for the people of Washington.” 

From Sen. Liias, “I think our system, where we have a dedicated, focused transportation budget, has served the people of Washington long term. If you look at states where it's all one budget, transportation becomes the Rainy Day Fund of the general fund, [so] we are lucky here in Washington,” he said. “[But] I think if we're going to talk about the partnership between operating and transportation budget, it can't be dependent on transfers, which is what we're on now. We can't create a sound investment strategy that depends on the goodwill of folks in the long term … [And] this is not a moment when we can shift a couple billion dollars out of that system and think that's going to pay dividends.”

Cross-Sector Roundtable: State of the Industries & Policy Preview 
Speakers: Greg Lane (BIAW), Julia Gorton (WHA), Jon DeVaney (WSTFA), Michael Schutzler (WTIA) 
Moderated by Paul Queary (Washington Observer)

In the other breakout room, leaders from our state’s industry associations gathered to talk cross-sector, and in some cases, cross-mountain collaboration to get things done. Between tech, development, hospitality, and agriculture, there is a lot of novelty in terms of policy positions, but a lot of overlap, too. 

Across the board, taxes and transportation seem to be at the top of folks' minds, with WSTFA’s Jon DeVaney providing a distinctly new perspective for the audience. 

“I was here at the previous panel, and they had an extensive discussion about the challenges of making our transportation permitting and development process more efficient,” he said. “I live in Central Washington, it's a fairly red area, very tax skeptical, and they'll look at the net price of a lot of transportation projects, and while the projects themselves seem valuable, they have that, ‘You pay what for that? How many billions of dollars for that one bridge?’”

“And so those kinds of overly expensive transportation price tags erode public support for paying what's necessary to build out the infrastructure we need. And speaking from a rural area, while central Puget Sound transportation discussions are focused on commuter production, it's really important that we keep in mind that we have a statewide transportation system, and freight mobility is essential for the entire state and region’s economy.”

At the conclusion of these panels, the masses flocked back to the main stage to hear from our candidates for Washington’s Attorney General. Chamber President and CEO Joe Fain moderated, and in the air of fairness, flipped a coin up on stage to decide who would join him first.

Attorney General Candidates: Unplugged but Mic’d Up 

Nick Brown, the Democratic candidate, went first, largely focusing on his legal background and previous roles at the federal and state level. He expressed pride in the AG office’s record of protecting the environment and abortion access, and on the topic of protests, discussed the department’s role in both preventing and responding to hate crimes, and advising universities on their obligations. 

Pete Serrano, the Republican candidate, highlighted his regional service as mayor and city councilmember of Pasco, as well as his intent to stand firm on public safety and criminal justice issues. He highlighted his commitment to upholding the Constitution and providing “transparent and ethical” legal advice, as well as the challenges in protecting the elderly and vulnerable individuals from cybercrimes.

After both candidates gave their piece, we broke for lunch before coming back for two more, mainstage panels.

I’m (Kinda) New at This: Olympia’s Next Generation 

Speakers: Rep. Chipalo Street (37th), Rep. Kevin Waters (17th), Rep. Julio Cortes (38th)
Moderated by Katherine Mahoney (VMFH) 

Since we had spent most of the day discussing the inner workings of state politics, we thought we would get the scoop straight from the horses’ mouths: The newbie legislators that are in the room where it happens. 

Each with different backgrounds, motivations for running, and primary-issues-of-interest, our moderator, Katherine Mahoney, let them each share a bit about themselves. 

When it boils down to specifics, each legislator also has their own perspective, with all agreeing that we desperately need more diverse voices in the legislature, and a newfound sense of balance … both in the demographic of our elected leaders, and the resulting impact on tax policy.

When I Grow Up: Eastside Cities on the Rise 

Speakers: Mayor Angela Birney (Redmond), Deputy Mayor Mo Malakoutian (Bellevue), Mayor Kelli Curtis (Kirkland) 
Moderated by Jill Jackson 

To conclude the day, we hosted a panel of our Eastside mayors: Angela Birney, Dep. Mayor Mo Malakoutian, and Kelli Curtis. The three discussed how they communicate with each other and their staff to keep a pulse on what is happening in our communities, especially with the explosive growth we’ve experienced in the last decade. 

Mayor Birney discussed the opportunities brought by growth, including job creation and investment in infrastructure, and Mayor Curtis emphasized the importance of balancing growth with intention to ensure the community has the necessary services and infrastructure. The most freshman of the three, Deputy Mayor Malakoutian praised the other two’s leadership, and highlighted the challenges of affordability across the region. 

We talked about light rail and the need for coordinated planning, as well as the role of corporations and private partnerships. 

“The key takeaway is that they are not just building, making, and constructing buildings … They are becoming part of the fabric of the Bellevue and Eastside community,” said Malakoutian on the responsibility of Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and others. “And I think that's the way it should be, and I think that's why we are seeing the benefits that they are bringing.”

As per usual, the Chamber’s Fain closed out the day with a joke or two, and we all went on our merry ways back to work. Thanks to all who joined us for ELC 2024!