Voices

Ranker sworn in as Pacific NorthWest Economic Region president

Washington State Senator Kevin Ranker sworn in as PNWER President

ANCHORAGE – Senator Kevin Ranker (D-WA) was sworn in as the
president of the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) at the 2013
Annual Summit on July 17.

Prior to his promotion, Senator Ranker served as a PNWER vice-president.

"I am humbled, I am honored, and above all else -- I am excited. I
believe there are incredible opportunities before us in this region
and I believe PNWER is the organization that is positioned to ensure
we maximize each of these opportunities. PNWER is about bringing
together every perspective: public, private, NGO's to advance our
shared goals and help craft regional solutions to global challenges.
Here there are people united in working toward a common goal of doing
what's best for our region and its citizens."

Matt Morrison, Chief Executive Officer of PNWER, said the organization
was pleased to welcome the senator to his new role.

"Kevin Ranker has contributed much to the organization over the past
two years in his role as vice-president," Morrison said. "We look
forward to a year of significant achievements under his leadership, at
a time when United States-Canada issues are extremely important, and
this region is being looked to for solutions."

The PNWER president heads the executive committee, which is the
decision-making body of PNWER. The president also represents the
organization in annual visits to Washington, D.C., Ottawa, and state
and provincial capitals within the region. The PNWER president and
vice-president must be elected officials. These two posts alternate
annually between elected legislators from the United States and
Canada. Senator Ranker succeeds the Honorable Lyle Stewart, Minister
of Agriculture from Saskatchewan, who served as PNWER's President for
the past year.

Formed in 1991, PNWER is a non-partisan, public-private partnership
that includes Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon and the
Northwest Territories in Canada; and Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Washington
and Montana in the United States.

The partnership represents a regional combined GDP of $1 trillion and
is committed to regional collaboration, enhanced competitiveness,
economic growth, and the reduction of trade and regulatory barriers.

ABOUT THE PNWER SUMMIT

Held in a different location each year, the annual PNWER summit draws
hundreds of key business leaders, legislators and politicians from
PNWER's 10 states, provinces and territories in the Pacific Northwest.
At the summit, participants are divided into "working groups" by their
industry or expertise, and work for a week to develop a plan of action
on a policy issue in one of the following categories: agriculture,
Arctic caucus, cross-border livestock health, border issues, security
and disaster resilience, energy, health care, innovation, invasive
species, sustainable development, trade and economic development,
transportation, tourism, water policy and workforce development. For a
preliminary agenda, go to pnwer.org/2013summit/

PNWER press release

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