Award Goes to Supporter of Trade Laws

Congressman Norm Dicks was awarded the Tacoma-Pierce Co. Chamber’s 24^th  annual George Francis Train International Business Commemorative at last night’s Globe Dinner. 

Craig Chance, Senior Vice President, Community Financial Resources, Columbia Bank, as the award sponsor presented the award in the care of Congressman Dicks' District Director Clark Mather.

For more than four decades, both as an elected Member of Congress and as a trusted advisor of Senator Warren Magnuson, Cong. Dicks has been an unwavering advocate for the City of Tacoma and Washington State as a whole.

To briefly mention some of the projects:

·         Building Interstate 705 – the “Tacoma Spur”

·         The clean-up of Commencement Bay and the ongoing effort to protect and restore Puget Sound and Hood Canal for future generations

·         The Puyallup Indian Land Claims settlement – the second largest settlement with Native American Tribes in the history of the United States -- which allowed the Port of Tacoma to become a major economic driver in this region

·         Rehabilitating the Murray Morgan Bridge

·         Support for the arts, including securing federal funding for the Museum of Glass, the Pantages Theater and the Tacoma Art Museum

·         The redevelopment of downtown Tacoma, including the growth at the University of Washington—Tacoma, the conversion of Union Station to a federal courthouse, and the ongoing efforts to revitalize the Pacific Avenue Corridor

We can also mention his leadership in winning the tanker contract for Boeing, which will bring 11,000 new jobs to Washington State, his support for our state’s three national parks – including the new Jackson Visitors Center at Mount Rainier, his decades long commitment to restoring Northwest Salmon Runs and his commitment to ensuring that military service-members, veterans and their families have the health care and benefits they are owed by our country.

Congressman Smith has been an unwavering supporter of increased trade as our representative – supporting free trade agreements and efforts to open new markets to goods from our State. He knows that we need to increase exports to create jobs and continue the nation’s economic recovery.

As now known, Congressman Dicks announced that he would be retiring from Congress at the conclusion of the current session, ending his tenure as the longest serving member of the U.S. House in our state’s history. So on behalf of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and the World Trade Center and our many partners we take this opportunity to thank Congressman Dicks for his service for us.