Gov. Gregoire addresses the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce annual Leadership Conference

October 24, 2008

AS WRITTEN

Good morning, and thank you DeLee Shoemaker for the kind introduction.

It�s great to be here this morning, and I first want to thank the Seattle Chamber of Commerce for � as usual � knowing where the ball is when it comes to promoting our economy � and not just in Seattle.

Last year, all of us at this annual Leadership Conference focused on Climate Change � which like Global Health � is something we�re tackling the Washington Way � by crossing artificial boundaries to work together through innovation, imagination, and partnerships.

Global health and global climate change cry out for leadership, and we in Washington are providing it. We are creating two new, powerful economies and making a better world for our children and grandchildren at the same time!

You know, in my four years as governor, I�ve had more than my share of �Ah-hah� moments. One of them was the moment early in my tenure when I truly saw the full fabric and promise that our growing Global Health Sector offers humanity throughout the world.

And it came during my struggle to win legislative approval of the Life Sciences Discovery Fund.

�And that�s when I truly understood what our Global Health Sector is all about.

�And it�s not just about discovering new ways to prevent and cure disease�

�from malaria to extensively drug resistant tuberculosis�and work under way at Washington State University to improve animal health�

�And it�s not just about developing those preventions and treatments.

�And it�s not just about delivering them to the world � from something as simple and vital as millions of mosquito nets� to sanitary drinking water for tens of millions of people.

It�s about the sum of all three! -- growing and thriving together�in partnership�in our state�for the benefit of the whole world.

It�s about the Washington Global Health Alliance and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with its focus on disease prevention in the developing world and its billions of dollars of funding.

It�s about the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute and PATH combining forces to develop a malaria vaccine -- and SBRI�s partnership with the Infectious Disease Research Center on a bold new effort with Lilly to develop new drugs to combat TB.

It�s about the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center which is headquarters to the HIV Vaccine Trials Network � the world�s largest international effort to find a vaccine to prevent HIV-AIDS.

It�s about Seattle Children�s Medical Center�s leadership in a world-wide effort to prevent prematurity and stillbirth.

It�s about the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington�s partnership with Washington State University and Queensland, Australia to develop a cattle vaccine for e-Coli.

It�s about biotechnology research and development in Spokane, including the rapidly growing Signature Genomic Lab�or�atories � which is pushing the boundaries of clinical diagnostic testing for genetic disorders.

And it�s about the Life Sciences Discovery Fund we created to partner with the private sector and find breakthroughs ranging from better treatment of diabetes, to improving surgical outcomes.

Worldwide, these organizations by themselves add up to an all-star team, and make Washington � as you heard from Bill Foege (FAY-ghee) � one of the world�s major centers for global health.

But the fact is, here in our state more than 180 lesser-known organizations are working on global health.

And we already know that because of our culture of innovation and collaboration and compassion � what I call the Washington Way�

�People have already shown they are eager to work together � even at times putting the cause of the people they�re trying of serve ahead of the singular interests of their own organization.

I mentioned my �Ah-hah� moment about what we mean by global health. Another one came in 2006 when I met in my office with some of you to talk about where this state is -- and where it is going -- in the realm of global health.

What we quickly realized is that we had a lot of anecdotal information to measure the impact of global health on Washington�s economy, but little real data.

That�s when, at my request, the University of Washington agreed to undertake a thorough examination.

By now, you�ve all read the excellent study that emerged. But I want to mention just one amazing finding.

The study shows that global health directly accounts for more than 3,600 jobs in this state, with an average wage of nearly $78,000.

And we can only expect that the number of jobs, and the family wages they generate, will grow in the years to come.

I mentioned the Washington Way � and it isn�t some fancy slogan as I look at what is going on in the area of global health � from Seattle to Spokane to Pullman.

Those of you who work in this field are doing well, but you�re also doing good -- for Washingtonians and for the world�

�And you�re doing it by crossing artificial divisions in pursuit of the prize � a cure, a prevention, a breakthrough, and a way to share it with the world.

There are plenty of examples -- but one that captures my attention is the work you�re doing to confront a terrible killer � extensively drug-resistant TB � something I know you are talking about at this conference.

In short, Washington is unique in that not only have so many of you come together to develop a large TB program in very short order -- but that your work contains all three key global health drivers�

�Drug discovery�vaccine development�and diagnostics.

Now the work is well underway in Washington to find treatments for extensively drug-resistant TB.

I�m grateful that Paul Allen made his very first global health grant to the Initiative -- $5 million. Meanwhile, the Gates Foundation has spent more than $750 million on TB research!

Adding to the effort, scientists at the Biomedical Research Institute in Seattle are hard at work looking for new TB treatments.

Then there�s our Life Sciences Discovery Fund. Right now, one of our projects is to develop a novel test to screen newborns for increased risk for Type I Diabetes -- with the hope we can minimize the illness and reduce the staggering cost of the disease.

Among other projects, the Discovery Fund is financing�

�Exploration and clinical trials of new cancer drugs at the Fred Hutchinson Center and work at the University of Washington to improve surgical quality at hospitals.

Another project is development of advanced technology at Battelle Memorial Institute to identify blood biomarkers for the diagnosis of liver disease, cancer and diabetes.

As we can see, Washington�s growing Global Health sector is already working on breakthroughs to provide treatments and cures from some of the world�s most dreaded diseases.

I want you to know that I�m as excited as all of you about the work under way in Washington to ease the suffering -- not just in our own backyard but in Africa, Asia, and the rest of the globe.

And I want you to know that as governor, the establishment of the Life Science Discovery Fund was only the starting point for me.

I want you to know that I am eager to promote and highlight this growing economic sector � again, a sector where we can do well and do good too � for all of humanity...

�A sector I can and will promote in my trade missions�

�A sector that I am determined to be more visible and to become as well known in our state as an economic engine on par with the people who make airplanes and software.

Thank You.