2003 Business Leadership Award winners
Business Leader of the Year: Don Johnson
Don Johnson, vice president and general manager of Simpson Tacoma Kraft, has a long and abiding relationship with the Tacoma-Pierce County community. His core belief – that community service is good business – has led him to devote hundreds of hours to charitable organizations. He sets an example for his co-workers by demonstrating that the responsibility of business leadership extends also to individual efforts on behalf of others.
On the job, Johnson has created a clear vision for business success that is embraced by the several hundred workers who are critical to its implementation. His leadership style involves attention to detail and extreme customer service from an operation that is productive around-the clock. Thanks to his efforts, production output at Simpson Tacoma Kraft is at least four times greater today than it once was.
For years, Simpson Tacoma Kraft has supported its home community through countless charitable organizations. The company authorizes and funds a Community Care Team comprised of staff from all departments and levels of the organizations. Johnson began and continues a manufacturing and technology internship for high school students each summer, helping them to understand the importance of a strong core foundation in math and science subjects.
Johnson, a 31-year employee of Simpson Tacoma Kraft, is also past chair of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce and the local United Way campaign.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Fred Haley
Haley, chairman emeritus of Tacoma candy makers Brown & Haley, is respected throughout the region for his long dedication to his family business and contributions to the community.
In 1914, Haley’s father, J.C. Haley, joined Harry L. Brown to form the Brown & Haley candy company. Fred Haley joined the family firm as a salesman in 1935 and was named president, CEO and chairman of the board in 1954. He retired 41 years later, turning management of the firm over to the next generation.
Haley has dedicated much of his life to his two long-term passions – civil liberties and education. As chairman of the Tacoma School Board in the 1950s, Haley played a key role in refusing to fire an employee who invoked his Fifth Amendment rights before the House Un-American Activities Committee and encouraged the hiring of minority teachers and staff in Tacoma schools. Later, he chaired the State Citizens Committee for Civil Rights Legislation and participated in Martin Luther King’s 1963 march on Washington. Haley was instrumental in the founding of the UW Tacoma campus and has a history of philanthropic and active support for nonprofit causes.
In March of 2000, both houses of the state Legislature adopted a resolution honoring Haley’s contributions toward social justice and public education in Washington, pointing to him as an example of committed and enlightened citizenship for all Washingtonians.
Rising Star Award: Thaddeus Martin
Thaddeus Martin is an up-and-coming lawyer at Gordon Thomas Honeywell, the region’s oldest and largest law firm. At age 32, he is the firm’s youngest partner – and the first to generate over $1 million in business in his first year. He was named 2002 Lawyer of the Year by the Washington State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division and 2003 “Super Lawyer” by Washington Law and Politics. A 1998 graduate of Seattle University, he practices in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death and racial discrimination.
Despite an increasingly busy schedule, Martin frequently takes time to give back to the community. He provides pro bono legal services for people who could not otherwise afford representation, serves on the alumni board of Seattle University, offers continuing legal education to members of the Washington State Bar Association and serves as a mentor to underprivileged youth.
Business Leadership Awards
Melanie Dressel, President and CEO, Columbia Bank – Appointed senior vice president of private banking in 1993, Dressel rose to the rank of President within five years. The bank has prospered under Dressel’s leadership: in the second quarter of 2003, net profits were up 51 percent despite a continued slow economy and a challenging interest rate environment. Dressel’s tremendous business skill and competency, along with her commitment to giving back to the community, make her stand out as a true business leader.
John A. Hall, President and CEO, Rainier Pacific Bank – Known as an excellent leader and communicator, Hall is also respected for his strategic thinking and service to the community. In the 1990s, Hall led a corporate transformation that allowed Rainier Pacific, formerly a credit union, to become a full-service provider of consumer banking, investment and insurance services throughout Pierce and South King counties.
Don Johnson, Vice President and General Manager, Simpson Tacoma Kraft – Noted in the community for his ethical standards, communication and professionalism, Johnson has been instrumental in a number of community service projects while setting a high standard in business practices. His record of community service includes leadership of campaigns for United Way and the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber. Seen as upbeat and solution-oriented, Johnson sets an example of teamwork, dedication to the community and communication that his employees are eager to follow.
Andrea Riniker, Executive Director, Port of Tacoma – Over the past six years, Riniker has led the Port of Tacoma as it has developed into one of the Northwest’s leading container ports. She demonstrated leadership ability, emphasis on future business opportunities and focus on existing customers when she undertook a major strategic planning effort that strengthened the Port’s commitment to customer service. In a recent industry customer service poll, Tacoma ranked in the top five ports in the country.
Randy Rushforth, President, Rushforth Construction, Inc. – For 20 years, Rushforth has shaped Rushforth Construction into a $64 million annual enterprise through business development and customer service. Employees say Rushforth excels at communication and strategic planning. Recently, he initiated a formal strategic planning process and developed the company’s first-ever strategic plan. He is known as a team-builder and sets the bar for professionalism within the company.
Linda Thomas, Executive Director, Gordon, Thomas, Honeywell, Malanca, Peterson & Daheim LLP – Thomas has brought a wealth of experience, reality and common sense to one of the largest and oldest law firms in the Pacific Northwest. She manages the administrative functions for 90 lawyers and hundreds of support staff in three cities and faces daily challenges in all facets of the business. Her uncanny ability to connect with others has helped build focus and confidence during tough economic times. Her trademark humor, warmth and accessibility have made her a natural leader within the firm and the community.
Janeanne Upp, Executive Director, Tacoma Art Museum – In 2003, Upp led the final stages of construction of a new, world-class facility on-time and within budget, while continuing to successfully operate its former location in cramped quarters inside a converted bank building. Upp, formerly an accountant, brings a new set of accountability principles and private-sector business management philosophies to the non-profit arena. Her skills were essential to the successful completion of TAM’s new building and continued operation within budget.
Copyright 2004 University of Washington, Tacoma