Gov. Gregoire acknowledges, thanks volunteer advisors

For Immediate Release: July 28, 2009

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire tonight will hold a dinner at the Executive Mansion to thank Dick Thompson, Bob Watt and Craig Cole.

�When I challenged all Washingtonians to volunteer at least an hour each month to help our communities, these three men more than answered that call,� Gregoire said. �Dick, Bob and Craig have spent countless hours working tirelessly to benefit the entire state of Washington, and they didn�t receive a penny for their work. I owe them my gratitude, as do all Washingtonians.�

Last December, Gregoire asked Thompson to lead the state's efforts to protect existing jobs and accelerate job creation through the federal economic recovery packages. Thompson worked with the state�s Congressional delegation, state legislators, local elected officials and state, local and federal agencies to identify ready to go projects to get people back to work.

�Dick was the perfect person to lay the foundation for Washington state to be the leader for utilizing economic recovery dollars,� Gregoire said. �He knows how things work and he knows how to get things done, and that�s exactly what he did. Because of Dick�s leadership, we are putting our federal recovery dollars to work quickly and supporting and creating jobs across Washington state.�

�It�s always nice to be thanked, but it isn�t necessary,� Thompson said. �This is the time when we need more people to step up and help our communities � not because you want to be recognized, but because it�s the right thing to do. I am proud of the work we accomplished to help Washington recover from the current national recession, and look forward to seeing what other volunteers achieve to help our state.�

Cole was instrumental in helping Gregoire lead the state�s first economic roundtable last December in Seattle. With Cole�s help, business and labor leaders developed strategies to shape the state�s economic future and to position Washington to fully benefit from its unique economic strengths. Since that first roundtable, Gregoire has held similar meetings in Tacoma, Vancouver, Spokane and Everett.

�Craig is a phenomenal organizer who understands and respects the input from the many different groups that are vital to our state�s economic strength,� Gregoire said. �The work Craig helped initiate will position us well as Washington state emerges from the national recession�

�I commend the governor for her willingness to draw ideas from a wide array of people across the state,� Cole said. �It was a pleasure to support the governor�s efforts to accelerate Washington�s recovery, and ensure our state is a strong competitor in the new economy.�

Gregoire asked Watt to help her recruit and hire several members of her Cabinet, including Department of Social and Health Services Secretary Susan Dreyfus, Department of Commerce Director Rogers Weed, Department of Information Services Director Tony Tortorice, Department of Agriculture Director Dan Newhouse and Department of Early Learning Director Bette Hyde.

�Bob has a unique ability to recognize true talent,� Gregoire said. �In the various positions Bob has held, and his countless volunteer projects, Bob has an incredible network from which to pull from. With his help and guidance, I have a top-notch Cabinet that�s ready to address the economic challenges of today, while using innovative ideas to do better with less. I appreciate the time he spent to help me recruit quality leaders to benefit all Washingtonians.�

�It has been an honor to help the governor and the entire state of Washington,� Watt said. �I will gladly continue to serve in any way I can.�