The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business has selected 25 honorees for its Tri-City People of Influence awards in 2026.

The honorees are, in alphabetical order:

• James C. Alford, Block One Distillery, Alford Custom Ag, RNA Aviation, Premier Seed, JCAg, Desert River Farms, Cold Springs Storage
• John Bookwalter, Chapter Two Hospitality
• Abbey Cameron, 3 Rivers Community Foundation 
• Karl Dye, TRIDEC 
• Rachel Fidino, New U Women’s Clinic & Aesthetics 
• Nieves Gomez, Columbia Basin Health Association (CBHA)
• Brian Hartman, Bechtel
• Brandy Hickey, Generational Care 
• Erin Hockaday, Benton Franklin Health District 
• Mike Landry, Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO, at Hanford
• Kyle LaPierre, LaPierre Homes
• Christina Lomasney, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory 
• Lori Mattson, Tri-City Regional Chamber 
• Rudy (Rodolfo) Mendoza, STCU
• Scott Mitchell, HAPO Community Credit Union
• Phil Ohl, Tri-Cities Angel Alliance 
• Vijay Patel, A-1 Hospitality 
• Andrew Porter, Tri-City Union Gospel Mission 
• Bruce Ratchford, Apollo Mechanical Contractors
• Beau Ruff, Cornerstone Wealth Strategies 
• Buck Taft, Tri-Cities Airport 
• Doug Wadsworth, Tri-CU Credit Union
• Michelle Whitney, Pasco School District 
• Bob Wilkinson, Central Plateau Cleanup Company 
• Rebekah Woods, Columbia Basin College 

To be recognized, candidates must be decision-makers who helped to shape our region in the past year. In addition to thought leaders and industry innovators, honorees are people who give back, both in the business world and the community at large.

The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business accepted nominations for the award.

Event details & tickets

The Journal will recognize these community influencers at our 2026 Tri-City People of Influence event, in partnership with Bechtel, CLA, Columbia Basin Health Association and Chervenell Construction.

The awards program is from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, March 12 at Zintel Creek Golf Course, 314 N. Underwood St. in Kennewick. Tickets are on sale now at tcjournal.biz/tc-people-of-influence.