Often as we grow (professionally, athletically, physically) we don’t realize how far we’ve come until we look at our milestones and compare them to our starting point. Similarly, I didn’t realize how far WCIT had come until I put together our 2014 Year in Review last week. I did a double take when looking at our list of accomplishments – we had a record-breaking year of achievements indeed! We were quoted, mentioned in or interviewed for a whopping 43 news stories, placed 10 op-eds in newspapers across Washington state, held 10 trade policy events, and have an impressive list of 105 members, just to name a few of our accomplishments!
When I compare this to our 2013 Year in Review (which we thought was pretty full of achievements at the time), it’s obvious WCIT’s impact, reach and reputation has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past year! We’d like to offer sincere thanks to all the folks that helped us reach so many goals this year – our fantastic members, WCIT Advisory Board members, and our partner organizations.
Here’s our full 2014 Year in Review (you can download the PDF version here):
Numbers at a Glance (as of December 15):
- 1572 Twitter followers
- 105 members
- Quoted or mentioned in 37 news articles:
- Puget Sound Business Journal 10 times
- Seattle Times 6 times
- Capital Press 3 times
- Bellingham Herald, Tri-City Herald, Tacoma News Tribune and McClatchy DC twice
- Once in Context China, Global Trade Magazine, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce blog, Ballard News Tribune, Progressive Railroading, Everett Herald, Spokesman Review, Yakima Herald and Journal of Commerce
- Added 17 new members
- 13 blog posts
- 10 trade policy events
- 10 op-eds: Spokesman Review twice and once each in the Seattle Times, Tacoma News Tribune , Bellingham Herald, Crosscut, Walla Walla Union Bulletin, The Columbian, Puget Sound Business Journal and Everett Herald
- Wrote and gathered signatures for 7 advocacy letters
- Signed 7 advocacy letters written by other organizations
- Interviewed for 7 radio or TV stories: KUOW and CCTV twice and once on KIRO, KOMO and KPLU
- Testified to State Legislature committees twice
Communication:
Op-eds or Columns Placed:
- “Give Trade Negotiators Vital Agreement Authority” in The Tacoma News Tribune and Bellingham Herald (March 11)
- “Pass TPA to Boost State’s Trade, Jobs” in the Spokesman Review (March 16)
- “How the Ex-Im Bank Helps Small Businesses” in the Seattle Times (June 23) and Walla Walla Union Bulletin (June 25)
- “The Achilles Heel of Washington Trade Is Under the Knife” in Crosscut (August 8)
- “Data Protection Must Be Part of Trade Pact,” in The Columbian (October 5) and The Everett Herald (October 18)
- “Pacific Trade Agreement Vital to Washington,” in Spokesman Review (November 15)
- “New “Business-Blue” Coalition Focuses on Protecting Washington’s Trade Status” in Puget Sound Business Journal (December 5)
WCIT Quoted in Articles:
- Seattle Times column “Bible for Business-Site Selectors Overlooks Northwest” (March 8)
- Global Trade Magazine article “Washington Is Heating Up!” (March/April edition)
- S. Chamber of Commerce’s blog post “It Starts with the State: Organization Drives Support for Trade” (April 18)
- Puget Sound Business Journal article “Loss of Export-Import Bank Could Dull Boeing’s Competitive Edge” (May 29)
- Puget Sound Business Journal article “Will Eric Cantor Defeat Hurt Boeing’s Export Sales?” (June 13)
- Bellingham Herald article “Little-known Export-Import Bank Targeted by Conservatives as Corporate Welfare” (June 16)
- Puget Sound Business Journal article “Ray Conner: Losing Ex-Im Bank Financing Would be a Huge Blow to Boeing” (June 25)
- Tri-City Herald and (Tacoma) News Tribune article “Study: Freight Rail Worth a Decade of Washington’s Economic Growth” (October 6)
- McClatchy DC article “Washington State’s Rep. Reichert Takes Aim at Top Trade Job” (October 16)
- Capital Press article “Container Slowdown Spreads to California Ports” (November 6)
- Puget Sound Business Journal article “Trade Organizations ‘Feeling Powerless,’ Call for Federal Mediator as Ports’ Labor Dispute Heats Up” (November 7)
- Puget Sound Business Journal article “Eric Schinfeld Works to Save the Ex-Im Bank, Peace on the Docks” (November 14)
- Capital Press article “Ocean Carriers Add Fees to Container Shipments” (November 19)
- Capital Press article “Curtailed Negotiations May Prolong Port Congestion” (November 21)
- McClatchy DC article “Japan-U.S. Car Dispute Threatens Obama’s Trade Plans” (December 1)
- Puget Sound Business Journal article “Trade Exec Wants Port Peace” (December 5)
WCIT Referenced in Articles:
- Seattle Times column “Global Trade Uncertainties Will Hit Home in Washington” (January 17)
- Context China article “Washington Can Benefit from China’s Great Leap of Investment into the U.S.” (February 2)
- Puget Sound Business Journal article “U.S. Trade Expert on China: Look for Export Opportunities, Watch Your Back” (July 22)
- Tri-City Herald and Bellingham Herald editorial “Our Voice: Export-Import Bank Crucial to Washington’s Economy” (July 29)
- Ballard News Tribune article “Freight Rail Instrumental for Washington State’s Trade Dependent Economy” (October 6)
- Progressive Railroading’s article “Freight Rail a Boon to Washington State’s Economy, Study Shows” (October 8)
- Puget Sound Business Journal article “All Aboard: Seaport Alliance Could Be Good News for Rail” (October 8)
- Puget Sound Business Journal’s article “BNSF to Invest $235M in Washington Railroad System as Debate Over Coal Trains Smolders” (October 6)
- Seattle Times column “Energy-Efficient Economy Needs Strong Railroads” (October 10)
- Yakima Herald article “Freight Rail Still a Vital Part of Yakima Valley Economy” (October 13)
- Puget Sound Business Journal article “New Port of Seattle CEO Sets Lofty Goal: Add 100,000 Jobs in Region” (November 10)
- Seattle Times column “Why Washingtonians Should Care More About Trade” (November 12)
- Journal of Commerce article “US Sen. Murray Vows to Push for HMT Replacement to Curb Canadian Diversions” (November 10)
- Everett Herald article “Spending to Keep Freight Moving” (November 11)
- Seattle Times op-ed “Don’t Be Quick to Bash Rail – An Engine of the Economy” (November 21)
- Spokesman Review op-ed “Gateway Pacific Terminal: Pro: Economic Benefits, Export Growth Potential Outweighs Traffic Concerns” (November 23)
- Seattle Times article “West Coast Port Slowdown Hits Agriculture Harder Than Holiday Goods” (December 2)
- Tacoma News Tribune article “Seaport Alliance already in choppy water with slowdown” (December 7)
WCIT Interviewed for Radio or TV Stories:
- KUOW story “What the Trans-Pacific Partnership Could Mean for Washington” (January 16)
- KIRO story “Possible Sanctions on Russia Could Have Impact on Washington Business” (March 20)
- CCTV story “Billions at Risk As West Coast Port Contract Ends” (June 27)
- CCTV story on TPP and APEC Summit (November 6)
- KOMO TV Seattle story on PMA/ILWU labor dispute (November 7)
- KUOW story “Who’s to Blame for the Work Slowdown at Northwest Ports?” (November 19)
- KPLU story “Fifteen Years After ‘Battle for Seattle,’ Labor Groups Raise Concerns About New Trade Deals” (November 28)
Other Communication Achievements:
- Quoted in Representative Reichert’s letter to House leadership urging reauthorization of Ex-Im Bank (July 2)
- Revealed a new WCIT logo and branding package (July 17)
- Created new WCIT informational handout (July) and membership pitch handout (November)
Policy:
- Testified to Washington State Legislature’s House Transportation Committee on the importance of freight mobility to our trade economy (January 13)
- Signed letter to Congressional leaders urging swift passage of TPA (January 15)
- Sent joint letter with Pacific Northwest Waterways Association to the Washington Congressional Delegation, thanking them for introducing the Maritime Goods Movement Act (February 28)
- Signed letter urging ILWU and PMA to reach agreement and maintain port competitiveness (May 9)
- Testified on TPP and TTIP to the Washington State Legislature’s Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Trade Policy (June 16)
- Wrote a thank you letter to the Washington Congressional Delegation for ensuring HMT reforms were included in WRRDA (June 16)
- Signed letter urging PMA and ILWU to come to an agreement (July 9)
- Released redesigned and updated policy factsheets (September)
- Sent letter signed by 40 Washington state companies to the Washington Congressional Delegation, urging them to lead the fight for Ex-Im Bank reauthorization (September 3)
- Wrote a thank you letter to Governor Inslee for his support of Ex-Im Bank reauthorization (September 23)
- Co-commissioned a freight rail economic impact study with BNSF that found over 300,000 Washington jobs rely on freight rail (October 6)
- Wrote letters signed by outdoor apparel retailers to Representative Reichert and Senator Cantwell, thanking them for re-introducing the U.S. OUTDOOR Act. (October 15)
- Signed letter urging PMA and ILWU to quickly conclude a labor agreement (October 20)
- Signed the “Hit the HMT Target Campaign” letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairs (October 22)
- Joined 100 businesses and organizations in signing letter urging President Obama to intervene to resolve PMA/ILWU labor dispute
- Joined 200 businesses and organizations in letter urging Congress to pass TPA before end of year (November 14)
- Wrote letter signed by 88 businesses and organizations to President Obama, urging him to help ensure a resolution to interruptions at West Coast port terminals
Programs:
- Co-hosted the annual Trends in Ocean Shipping Forum with Foster Pepper (February 26)
- Held a member roundtable discussion on the TPP with U.S. Representative Adam Smith (March 18)
- Co-organized a dinner with the Indian Ambassador to the U.S., Dr. S. Jaishankar (May 5)
- Led the annual WCIT D.C. Fly-In (May 20 – 22)
- Hosted a member roundtable with U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (April 22)
- Co-organized a breakfast roundtable with Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler (July 11)
- Held the WCIT Summer Luncheon featuring Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for China Affairs Claire Reade (July 17)
- Hosted a luncheon with U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman (August 12)
- Hosted the 2014 Washington Trade Conference (November 10)
- Co-sponsored a Trade +Aid panel discussion with the University of Washington Jackson School of International Studies Master in Applied International Studies program and the Washington Global Health Alliance (November 20)