RELEASE: Washington State Leadership Board in partnership with Lt. Governor's office announces the 2022 Washingtonian of the Year and Organization of the Year honorees
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11.29.2022
Media Contact: Audrey Baker
Phone: 564.999.7308
Email: Audrey.Baker@Wslb.Wa.Gov
The Washington State Leadership Board in partnership with Lt. Governor Denny Heck’s office announces this year’s Washingtonian of the Year and Organization of the Year honorees. These awards are given every year on behalf of the State of Washington in recognition of outstanding service and leadership. “This year’s recipients have demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of people in their community,” said Lt. Governor Heck. “It is an honor to recognize them in this special way on behalf of all of Washington.”
The 2022 award recipient for Washingtonian of the Year is Julia Colson, Director of the Seattle/King County Clinic. A long-time employee of the Seattle Center, Julia is a community-based leader who has been the vision and drive behind the creation of the Seattle/King County Clinic; an event that brings together healthcare organizations, civic agencies, non-profits, private businesses, and volunteers from across the State of Washington to produce a four-day clinic at Seattle Center each year. The volunteer-driven clinic provides free dental, vision, and medical care to anyone in the region who struggles to access and/or afford healthcare.
As Director, Julia is responsible for the leadership and management of the clinic including partner and resource development, communications and outreach, volunteer coordination, as well as clinic design and operations. In this capacity, she helped to introduce and pass state legislation around healthcare volunteerism. In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped develop and operate three mass vaccination sites in Seattle, including one of the largest civilian-led vaccination sites in the country at Lumen Field Event Center. Over seven years of operation, in collaboration with over 100 partner organizations and over 23,000 volunteers, Seattle/King County Clinic has provided more than $20 million in dental, medical, vision and social services to over 24,000 patients. While Julia is proud of these community accomplishments, she finds the greatest satisfaction in knowing that participants feel respected, valued, included, seen, and heard.
“It is a privilege to be part of a community of dedicated and caring people who make up Seattle/King County Clinic: my colleagues at Seattle Center and Seattle Center Foundation, the Clinic leadership team, partner organizations, volunteers, patients and supporters,” said Colson. “They exemplify the goodness that exists in our state and what we can achieve when we work in collaboration with one another. This recognition is about all of us.”
This year’s recipient for Washington Organization of the Year, ANEW, is a non-profit that provides pre-apprenticeship training, career exploration, and support services to help individuals find a pathway into a family wage career in the trades. Their staff provide the skills and support to help individuals acquire the needed skills to be successful.
ANEW was founded in 1980 by people dedicated to improving the access and advancement of women in non-traditional career pathways, such as construction and manufacturing, and continues to focus on equity and inclusion in the construction industry for both women and people of color. ANEW is also the oldest, continuously running pre-apprenticeship program in the nation with a unique and successful reputation for training people to enter the construction industry. ANEW partners with over 17 apprenticeship programs in the Puget Sound region, as well as collaborates with public partners and other pre-apprenticeship programs and employers. Because of their strong partners, ANEW sees clients successfully accepted into apprenticeship programs and offers retention services for pre-apprenticeship graduates.
“It is a privilege to lead the staff of ANEW. They deserve to be recognized for their hard work and their passion for the people we serve,” said Karen Dove, Executive Director of ANEW. “College isn’t the only way to success; our graduation certificate is a ticket to the middle class. In just 12 weeks our students gain the skills and confidence to change their lives. Everyone deserves the opportunity to provide for their family and ANEW provides that opportunity to hundreds of students each year.”
Since 1975, the Washington State Leadership Board has hosted the annual Washington Leadership Awards ceremony. Past award recipients include well-known community leaders and philanthropists Paul Allen, Dr. Helen Chu, Bill Gates Sr., and Priscilla Bullitt Collins, as well as local non-profit organizations Hilltop Artists, Northwest Harvest, and Treehouse for Kids.
The Washington State Leadership Board, formerly a statutory non-profit organization, was deemed a trustee agency of Washington state, per Senate Bill 5750, which passed during the 2022 legislative session. Charged with bestowing honors on behalf of the state, the Board also administers several equity-based youth leadership programs.
Of the recipients, Washington State Leadership Board President Dale Bright said, “we are proud to recognize the work of these great leaders as their spirit of leadership, compassion, and service has changed the lives of many throughout Washington state.”
The Washington Leadership Awards ceremony will be held in Olympia on December 1. To virtually view the event, visit TVW.org.