Gregoire announces early strategy to ensure Boeing 737 is built in Washington state

For Immediate Release: June 8, 2011

Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced she will assemble a statewide team to take Washington's aerospace competitiveness to a new level, and ensure the next Boeing 737 is manufactured in Washington state.

�I�ve been told by Boeing that the company will announce its decision for the future of the 737 later this year,� Gregoire said. �I�m not waiting. I�m gathering the best people that our aerospace industry has to offer to ensure that when Boeing makes its announcement � Washington state is at the front of the line, ready to compete. Washington state has always been the home of the 737 � and I am committed to doing everything I can to ensure it stays that way. We have 84,000 aerospace workers, and 650 aerospace supply companies in Washington state that are depending on that.�

Gregoire will call on business, labor, and community leaders to work with aerospace companies and organizations to prioritize the actions required to ensure Washington state remains the premier center for aerospace, and the go-to region in the world to design and build commercial airplanes, including a new or re-powered 737. The effort is being titled, �Project Pegasus.�

Gregoire today also announced she has asked Seattle attorney Tayloe Washburn to serve as her senior advisor on Project Pegasus and help organize the statewide coalition.

�Washington's role as the number one aerospace cluster in the world is an excellent foundation, however we have work to do as a state to take our aerospace competitiveness to the next level and ensure continuing global leadership for workers and companies in our state,� Washburn said. �We stand at the edge of a new generation of innovation in aerospace. I am excited to assist the governor in coming months in her leadership in this effort, and am confident that we have statewide commitment to identify and take the steps necessary to make a compelling value proposition for all aerospace companies to invest their future in Washington state.

�Tayloe has my deep respect � and deserves the respect of every Washingtonian,� Gregoire said. �He has graciously volunteered his expertise, guidance and track record of success to help us with this tremendous effort.�

Recently Washburn co-chaired the Washington Aerospace Partnership, a statewide group of business, labor and community leaders which exists to improve Washington state's aerospace competitiveness. The Partnership supported Gregoire's efforts to mobilize support across the state to help Boeing secure the U.S. Air Force Tanker contract.

Washburn has extensive experience bringing together people and groups to accomplish complex projects. As a land use lawyer with Foster Pepper PLLC with 25 years experience, Washburn has played a leading role in large complex public and private projects, including the Port of Seattle's Third Runway, King County's Brightwater Regional Wastewater system and Wright Runstad & Company's Spring District project in the Bel-Red area. He has helped draft and secure adoption of numerous pieces of state legislation in the areas of growth management, SEPA, and the nation's first electric vehicle infrastructure bill. He currently is working with labor, business, environmental and elected leaders across the state on a statewide effort to maintain and ensure a healthy transportation system.

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