Richland received 2 state awards last month during the Washington Economic Development Association’s (WEDA) winter conference in the Innovation and Emerging Leadership categories. The 2024 Innovation in Economics Development award recognizes the City’s use of the Targeted Urban Area Exemption, a Manufacturing Recruitment Tool that is a game-changer in creating long-term jobs and increasing economic vitality in our region. Economic Development Manager Mandy Wallner was also awarded the 2024 Emerging Professional in Economic Development for her significant contribution to her community and as a promising future leader in the industry. “Mandy exemplifies partnership and the spirit of a strong economic development leader. Her work and efforts impact not just the community in which she serves, but the entirety of the economic development network that builds a vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive economy,” said Michael Cade, Executive Director of the Thurston Economic Development Council and WEDA Awards Committee member, “Mandy continuously offers her expertise and skills to further the success of all, teaches and recognizes others, and leverages her creativity to find new solutions that increase economic diversity.” More information can be found at https://wedaonline.org/news
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Elijah Family Homes is gearing up to host their second annual Better Together Non-Profit Coed Softball Tournament. With 13 teams already signed up and eager to participate, this year's event promises to be exciting. Returning teams include SnipesH3, Serve Tri-Cities, The Boys and Girls Club, Numerica Credit Union, and Big Bro Joe, along with newcomers Restoration Market, Mustang Forces, Walk to End Alzheimer's, Clean Sweep, Tri-Cities Residential Services, Mid-Columbia Children's Museum, and Grace Kitchen.
The tournament is open to the public and free of charge, so we encourage everyone in the community to mark their calendars and come out to support this wonderful cause. Located in Richland, WA, at the Horn Rapids Athletic Complex, the action kicks off on April 13th at 10:00 a.m. to enjoy the games, vendors, food trucks, and activities. Staying late for the All-Star Game at 7 p.m. offers the opportunity to enter and win the 50/50 raffle and fantastic raffle items. For more information, please get in touch with Angela Dryden at (509) 943-6610 Ext. 110. Bechtel’s $7 million dollar commitment to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will provide critical resources and programming to 500,000 U.S. construction workers over the next five years.
Bechtel and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) today announced a new, multiyear partnership dedicated to saving lives in the construction community lost to suicide. The initiative was unveiled this morning in Washington, D.C., at an event focused on raising awareness, educating stakeholders on this crisis, and beginning to build a coalition to prevent construction worker suicides. The new partnership will reach 500,000 U.S. construction workers over five years through industry-specific programs and resources developed by Bechtel and AFSP. The $7 million, five-year commitment to AFSP to fund the effort is the largest-ever pledge received by AFSP and the largest single donation ever made by the Bechtel Group Foundation. “This is the start of a long-term, sustained effort to lift up the whole construction community. We want to see mental health become as much of a priority as physical safety in our industry,” said Brendan Bechtel, chairman and CEO of Bechtel. “It’s our belief that addressing suicide in construction is as vital as wearing a hard hat on site. This is the next frontier in taking care of each other.” The construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates of any profession in the U.S. In fact, the number of suicides in the industry is nearly five times higher than the number of lives lost in jobsite safety incidents, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, respectively. The initiative will leverage Bechtel’s industry knowledge and reach in combination with AFSP’s expertise in research, education, and effective prevention strategies, as well as its national network of local chapters. Bechtel welcomes participation from others in the industry, as this partnership forms a construction working group and a first-ever senior advisory council to help guide the effort. “We know we cannot meet this challenge alone. Real change will take all of us. We want to build an industry-wide effort, and we are actively encouraging others in construction to join us,” added Brendan Bechtel. “The partnership with Bechtel is the first of its kind for AFSP, and we are thrilled to be collaborating with an industry leader that is focused on improving the mental health of the construction industry as a whole,” said Robert Gebbia, CEO of AFSP. “We’re excited to be building a team within AFSP dedicated to this important initiative aimed at reaching thousands of people in need and preventing suicide.” “All of us who work in construction have seen gains in physical safety that were once unimaginable, become the standard for success,” said Sean McGarvey, president of North America’s Building Trades Unions, who also spoke at today’s event. “It’s time to bring the same mindset, resources, and innovation to the issue of mental health and suicide prevention.” Learn more about this new initiative and how you can get involved at: Confronting Suicide in the Construction Industry | Bechtel. ICYMI: Bechtel and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Announce Groundbreaking Partnership to Confront Construction Suicide Bechtel and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) announced a new, multiyear partnership dedicated to saving lives in the construction community lost to suicide. The new partnership will reach 500,000 U.S. construction workers over five years through industry-specific programs and resources developed by Bechtel and AFSP. Bechtel’s $7 million commitment to AFSP will fund the effort and is the largest-ever pledge received by AFSP. The new initiative was unveiled at an event in Washington, D.C. this week, where Sean McGarvey, President of North America’s Building Trades, joined Bechtel chairman & CEO, Brendan Bechtel, AFSP CEO, Bob Gebbia, and AFSP Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Christine Yu Moutier, to raise awareness of the alarming rate of suicides in the construction industry. Together, the panelists called on others in the industry to join this effort. To watch the full panel conversation online, click here. Bechtel and AFSP announced a first-of-its kind, industry-specific effort to confront suicide rates in the construction industry. What separates this effort from others is the sustained, multiyear commitment and the invitation for the entire construction industry to join:
The construction industry has made tremendous progress on physical safety. This new initiative will apply lessons learned to the next frontier in safety, prioritizing mental health and well-being:
Confronting this crisis will require a culture shift for the construction industry. As colleagues endure tremendous demands and challenging work, there needs to be an understanding that it’s okay to ask for help; the industry must de-stigmatize prioritizing mental health:
With recently passed legislation like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the CHIPS Acts, we're mindful of the tremendous demands placed on the construction workforce. This new initiative comes at the convergence of the United States’ infrastructure boom, with a maturing suicide research field and influx of data on this topic:
Bechtel is taking a stand, asserting that addressing mental health in construction is as vital as wearing a hardhat on site and encouraging the entire construction industry to join in this endeavor:
The construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates of any profession in the U.S. In fact, the number of suicides in the industry is nearly five times higher than the number of lives lost in jobsite safety incidents, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, respectively. Learn more about this crisis and Bechtel and AFSP’s new initiative here. On Friday, March 8, City Council will be interviewing four finalists for the City Manager position during a Special Meeting Executive Session. The finalists are, in alphabetical order, Brian Davis, Erin Erdman, Dan Legard and Jennifer Stapleton.
Council will make a final decision on appointing a City Manager at a future Council Meeting, date to be determined. Richland Fire and Emergency Services is planning for the future and wants your input. If you are a Richland resident or business, please take a few minutes and complete the community engagement survey at bit.ly/rfescommunity.
The survey is due by Friday, March 8. The results will be calculated and shared with staff during a strategic planning meeting on March 11-13. Questions can be directed to Captain Aust, [email protected]. Port of Kennewick: Governor’s Office to Present Smart Communities Award to Clover Island Partners3/4/2024 On Tuesday, March 12 at 11:30 a.m., the community is invited to attend the Governor’s Smart Communities Award presentation at the Clover Island Lighthouse Plaza at 101 Clover Island Drive in Kennewick.
The Port of Kennewick and its project partners were selected as winners of the Smart Partnerships category for their multiyear, multiphase, collaborative effort to restore and revitalize Clover Island. The ceremony will begin with a blessing by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Nation. Then a representative from the Governor’s office will present awards to Clover Island landowner, Port of Kennewick, and project partners: the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District, State of Washington Recreation & Conservation Office, Benton County and City of Kennewick. Who: Community and media invited What: Governor’s Smart Communities Award Presentation When: Tuesday, March 12 at 11:30 a.m. Where: 101 Clover Island Drive, Kennewick Why: Recognize the collaboration to restore and revitalize Clover Island The partnership has leveraged the strengths of each agency to transform an economically distressed area into a destination waterfront. In 2008, the port began seeking funding partners to help transform the island’s eroding, concrete-covered shoreline into a stable, sustainable habitat and foster vibrant upland development with artwork and inviting recreational amenities. The project stabilized nearly a mile of the Columbia River shoreline to allow future development, built a fully-functioning, U.S. Coast Guard-approved lighthouse PATON (private aid to navigation) and added numerous public amenities. Those amenities include the Clover Island Riverwalk, 10 public art installations, a renovated boat launch, a restroom, paved parking, benches, a picnic area, five educational panels, and 11 scenic viewpoints. The restoration work also created four commercial waterfront parcels the port is now working to lease for private-sector development. “The partners are honored to receive the Governor’s Smart Communities Smart Partnerships Award and proud to have been chosen from an impressive body of work submitted by local governments around the state,” said Port of Kennewick Chief Executive Officer, Tim Arntzen.” Longenecker & Associates (L&A) has established a new engineering scholarship at Washington State University (WSU)Tri Cities to support students interested in careers that support the important missions of the U.S. Department of Energy.
L&A has committed to providing $10,000 annually to support the new scholarship, which will be geared toward those studying engineering, cybersecurity, business or other fields related to environmental management and cleanup. L&A selected WSU Tri-Cities for the new scholarship given the university’s role in preparing students for work in the DOE’s nuclear cleanup program, especially at the Hanford Site in eastern Washington. “More than 30 years ago, L&A got its start in the communities of eastern Washington state supporting DOE’s cleanup of Hanford,” L&A CEO John Longenecker said. “We’re excited now to help support WSU Tri-Cities students who may want to be part of this important work or aid the other vital missions of DOE.” “As an R1 university that has a focus on energy, environment and agriculture, our high caliber engineering and applied sciences programs draw students and it’s the partnerships with our local DOE partners that gives them career connected learning and great job prospects after graduation,” commented Sandra Haynes, chancellor at WSU Tri-Cities. “We are grateful to L&A and their desire to support students on our campus allowing them to follow their dreams.” L&A is a proud supporter of STEM education in communities near DOE sites. Along with WSU Tri-Cities, L&A helps to fund scholarships at Northern New Mexico College, the University of South Carolina-Aiken and Tennessee Tech University. L&A is also a strong supporter of the Roy G. Post Foundation, which provides scholarships for students pursuing careers in the safe management in nuclear materials. “We’re committed to not only helping DOE today in its national security, environmental remediation and clean energy programs, but to building the next generation of workers and leaders necessary for continued progress and success,” Longenecker said. (Richland, WA) The Ben Franklin Transit (BFT) Marketing & Communications Department was presented with a first-place AdWheel Award by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) at their annual Marketing, Communications, and Customer Experience Workshop held last week in New Orleans. Their winning entry, the Mechanic Recruitment Video, was recognized in the Best Electronic Media for Workforce Development category. The AdWheel Awards were created to recognize excellence in marketing and communications among APTA members and promote best practices within the industry. The BFT Mechanic Recruitment Video will move on to the next competition phase, vying for an APTA AdWheel Grand Award. Winners of this prestigious award will be announced mid-summer and honored at the 2024 APTA TRANSform Conference in Anaheim in September.
“Our Marketing & Communications team’s production not only won a national award, but it has also greatly aided us in recruitment of local talent,” said BFT General Manager Rachelle Glazier. “Applicants tell us that they learned about our job openings from seeing the recruitment videos on TV, which give a first-hand look at what it’s like to be a part of the team that keeps the Tri-Cities moving.” About Ben Franklin Transit: Ben Franklin Transit is the public transportation system for the Tri-Cities area of Benton and Franklin Counties in southeastern Washington State. Our guiding purpose is to provide safe, reliable, affordable transportation to the community to support personal mobility, economic diversity, and growth. BFT’s Public Transportation Benefit Area (PTBA) covers 616 square miles and serves the cities of Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, West Richland, Benton City, Prosser, and the town of Finley. In 2022, Ben Franklin Transit celebrated 40 years of providing essential transportation services to this community. Since its inaugural trip in May of 1982, BFT has grown from 45 to over 400 vehicles, including buses, Dial-A-Ride, Vanpool, and CONNECT. The agency now services almost 1,000 bus stops and has grown from fewer than 60 employees to over 400. Yakima Federal Savings and Loan is now accepting applications for its Award for Academic Excellence program. The bank has funded the program with $217,500 for awards to area graduating seniors. The individual awards are $2,500 each.
Applicants must reside in Yakima, Kittitas, Benton or Franklin counties, graduate in the top 10% of their class and have demonstrated high moral character, industriousness, and ambition during their high school career. Also required with the application is a one page letter of motivation outlining future plans, school and life experiences, including any challenges faced and overcome, and the impact of receiving an award. Students can review requirements and apply online now at YakimaFed.com/scholarship. The deadline for application is Friday, April 15th, 2024. Awards are limited to two applicants from each area school. Home schooled students are also eligible. Awards are funded upon student enrollment for the fall semester following graduation. Award checks are issued payable to the school in which the student is enrolled. Recipients will be notified by June 3rd 2024. Yakima Federal has provided nearly $2.9 million in college scholarships to local graduating high school seniors through its Award for Academic Excellence program over the past 48 years. Yakima Federal Savings and Loan is a Washington State chartered Mutual Savings Bank with 130 employees and over two billion dollars in assets. Yakima Federal serves more than 55,000 customers with products focusing on checking, savings and home loans. Yakima Federal is open to everyone residing in Washington and Oregon and is a member of the FDIC. Learn more at yakimafed.com. Two scholarships were endowed supporting Washington State University Tri-Cities students in honor of African American leaders. The African American Community Cultural and Educational Society (AACCES) donated funds that will assist local students in paying for college.
The AACCES Martin Luther King Junior scholarship and the William Owen Bush scholarship will provide $2,500 each to WSU Tri-Cities students in any field of study. The scholarships were named after prominent African American individuals that had significant impacts locally and nationally. The Martin Luther King Junior scholarship recognizes King’s legacy in the civil rights movement. The William Owen Bush scholarship honors the contributions Bush made as a legislator in Washington state. Bush helped pass legislation establishing a college for the study of agricultural science, which later became Washington State University in Pullman. “The establishment of these scholarships was born out of AACCES’s long relationship with WSU Tri-Cities. Endowing these scholarships ensures they will live on in perpetuity,” said Vanessa Moore, co-founding member of AACCES and board treasurer. Founded in 2003, AACCES began as an organization supporting the history and recognition of African Americans and has since expanded to support the Mid-Columbia community through educational activities and outreach programs for African American youth, as well as economic opportunities for residents. AACCES has had a long-standing partnership with WSU Tri-Cities, which began as a sponsorship of the university’s multicultural club. AACCES has since teamed up with several WSU Tri-Cities academics on an oral history project dedicated to sharing the stories of African Americans who worked at the Hanford nuclear site during the Manhattan project. In 2022 Leonard Moore, AACCES history and recognition committee chair, collaborated with the Washington State Historical Society to place a monument honoring William Owen Bush on the WSU Tri-Cities campus. “We are thankful for AACCES’s longstanding support of our students,” said Sandra Haynes, chancellor at WSU Tri-Cities. “These scholarships empower students, especially African American students, to pursue a degree and make it financially easier to do so.” For more information about scholarships at WSU Tri-Cities, visit the website. |
Have News?Email your press release and a photo to Austin Regimbal, Marketing & Communications Director. Press releases are posted in their entirety. This is a free benefit for members of the Tri-City Regional Chamber at the Connect level and above. Archives
July 2024
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