WSU president, Avista CEO among members of governor's Economic Development Council

Avista CEO and President Heather Rosentrater and Washington State University President Betsy Cantwell are among 26 business, labor and education leaders who have joined Gov. Bob Ferguson's newly established Economic Development Council.

Ferguson said the council will be tasked with increasing economic development, making recommendations on how to market Washington to out-of-state businesses and evaluating the state's business and regulatory environment.

Ferguson said the council grew out of conversations that began last year, when business and labor leaders expressed concern the state was losing it's competitive edge. According to the governor's office, it is the first time such a council has been created since Gov. Christine Gregoire established the Global Competitiveness Council in 2006.

"We need to make sure that we're staying competitive compared to other states," Ferguson said.

The council includes representatives from businesses either headquartered or founded in Washington including Amazon, Microsoft, T-Mobile, Boeing and Alaska Airlines. The council also includes April Sims, the president of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

In addition to Cantwell, Robert Jones, president of the University of Washington, and Rebekah Woods, president of Columbia Basin College, also joined the council. According to the governor's office, members of the council employ more than a quarter-million workers, represent more than a half-million union members, educate over a hundred thousand students and oversee tens of billions in port shipments.

According to Ferguson, the council will meet quarterly and will submit advisory reports to the governor. The council will advise the governor and the Department of Commerce on the development of the statewide economic development and competitiveness strategic plan, which will be completed next June.

"I promised everybody here that we're going to do our level best, because their time is so precious, to make sure we're getting outcomes as a result of this council," Ferguson said. "And I'm confident we'll do that."

The council, he said, is the "next step in our efforts to build Washington's economy."

"The council will serve as a venue for candid discussions among economic development leaders of our state," Ferguson said.

Cantwell said Thursday the council comes "at an incredibly important time" for the state.

"I really am moved by the opportunity to make sure that the future of the state is also a future where we continue to innovate across all of the challenges that may come up," Cantwell said.

Cantwell said the council needs to be "adaptable and connect" and the "most capable in the country of turning new ideas into broad public impact."

"Washington's long-term economic strength will depend on the innovations and talent we cultivate today," Cantwell said in a statement. "WSU looks forward to working with Governor Ferguson and the Council to ensure Washington continues to lead in the sectors that define the future, including AI, advanced energy, agriculture, and beyond."

Cantwell said Thursday artificial intelligence presents "thousands of new opportunities" for the state.

"AI in the broad field of agriculture will transform the way that, not only that we can feed more people, but the nutritional value of how we do that. It will be transformed by AI," Cantwell said. "And when you think about that in the nutshell of everything else that we both do well and wish to do well, we can build very large scale economies that others can't."

The formation of the council comes ahead of a legislative session that will likely again prove challenging for lawmakers. In a memo to state agencies earlier this month, K.D. Chapman-See, director of the Office of Financial Management said lawmakers will need again need to account for "significant budget shortfalls."

Ferguson said Thursday he would not propose a budget that includes tax increases and has communicated his approach to state lawmakers.

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