A longtime Tri-Cities business and civic leader has been honored with a statewide leadership award for his decades of regional impact and statewide contributions to Washington’s business community. 

The Association of Washington Business presented Mike Schwenk with a Legacy of Leadership Award during its annual awards gala Nov. 20 in downtown Seattle.  

Schwenk is a longtime volunteer leader in the statewide business organization and a fixture of the Tri-Cities community. He served two terms as chair of the AWB board and went on to lead the AWB Institute, where he was the driving force behind the new Washington in the Making 2040 project to create a durable economic vision for Washington state. 

“Behind every great project and important cause is a person who not only is a cheerleader, but the chief of strategy. The person who leans in to get it done for AWB, the employer community and the Tri-Cities, is Mike Schwenk,” said AWB President Kris Johnson. “In a time when leadership has never been more important, Mike epitomizes what it means to lead with vision, hard work and good humor.” 

Schwenk helped AWB create its annual D.C. Fly-in to the nation’s capital, was a leader in hosting the first AWB Evening of Excellence awards gala nine years ago and provided the vision for AWB’s strategic plan and member focus over the past decade. 

He is also a pillar of the Tri-Cities region, where he settled in 1979. He served key roles at the Tri-City Development Council, Westinghouse, Fluor and for 15 years at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Battelle, leading commercialization of the lab’s cutting-edge research. He was deeply involved in many important projects, including serving on the WSU Research Foundation and WSU-Tri-Cities Advisory Council. He was named the 2008 Tri-Citian of the Year. 

Prior recipients of the AWB Legacy of Leadership Award include Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden and Phyllis Campbell, chair of the Pacific Northwest region for JPMorgan Chase. 

AWB also honored several businesses with awards, though none are from the Tri-Cities. To see who won, click here.