The Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) Delegate Council elected three new leaders to join its executive board, which includes a president and four vice presidents – two from the U.S. and two from Canada.
Outgoing PNWER President Rick Glumac passed the gavel to WA Rep. Cindy Ryu in the closing hours of a highly successful 2024 Annual Summit.
The PNWER Executive Board leads the delegate council in efforts to achieve PNWER’s vision of enhanced cross-border collaboration.
Rep. Cindy Ryu | PNWER President
Washington State Representative Cindy Ryu will serve a one-year term as PNWER president, representing Washington and ensuring the Washington state government remains an engaged partner on important regional issues. Since being elected as PNWER U.S. Vice President in 2022, Representative Ryu has worked closely with each of the 10 PNWER jurisdictions to foster cross-border collaboration.
“I am thrilled to be serving as the PNWER president and will work hard to serve our member states, provinces and territories,” Representative Ryu said. “I chair the Innovation, Community & Economic Development, and Veterans Committee and serve on the Washington Tourism Marketing Authority, NCSL 2024 Taskforce on Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Privacy, and the FCC Intergovernmental Advisory Committee in large part because of the conversations and engagements within PNWER over the 14 years I have been in the Washington State Legislature.”
New Canadian and U.S. vice presidents, including Idaho State Representative Britt Raybould and Saskatchewan MLA Travis Keisig, were also elected at the summit.
Rep. Britt Raybould | U.S. Vice President
Representative Raybould was elected to the Idaho House of Representatives in 2018 and was reelected in 2022. She serves on the Joint Finance-Appropriation Committee, Resources & Conservation Committee, and the Environment, Energy & Technology Committee.
“I’m honored to serve and support PNWER’s mission to lead on the policy and economic issues that matter to our states and provinces,” Rep. Raybould said. “PNWER brings together an incredible group of individuals dedicated to helping their communities navigate complex challenges by learning from each other and working together. As partners, we can combine our efforts to produce region-wide results that strengthen us individually.”
Travis Keisig | Canada Vice President
Travis Keisig was elected MLA for Last Mountain-Touchwood in the 2020 provincial election. He is a Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs and Justice member and legislative secretary to the Minister of Crown Investments Corporation.
“I am humbled and excited to be elected vice president on the PNWER board. Throughout my term I will prioritize finding solutions to economic issues and ensure PNWER remains a non-partisan organization,” MLA Keisig said. “I will also work with Matt Morrison and his team to ensure conferences remain relevant, timely and thought provoking. I look forward to starting my role, meeting, and engaging with many great people across our collective jurisdictions.”
Representative Ryu was a panel member of a milestone session on Designing for Resilience, where she outlined the importance of emergency preparedness in the face of increasing risks of weather-related extremes.
