Spokane City Councilmember Betsy Wilkerson holding the gavel after being elected President of AWC.
Spokane City Councilmember Betsy Wilkerson was elected President of the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) at the association’s annual conference. The conference was held in Spokane on June 20-23, 2023, and brought nearly 500 city councilmembers and mayors to the community to celebrate AWC’s 90th anniversary.
“It is fitting that I passed the gavel to Councilmember Wilkerson at our conference, where our theme was ’90 Years of Building Bridges,’” said AWC Past President Rob Putaansuu, Mayor of Port Orchard. “Having worked closely over the years with Betsy, I know that she is skilled at building relationships and bridges between elected officials across the state and across the partisan spectrum. She is an outstanding leader, and I am honored to serve alongside her on the AWC Board.”
The AWC conference was also attended by the President of the National League of Cities (NLC), Mayor Victoria Woodards of Tacoma, Washington, who echoed these sentiments. “As I travel across the country as NLC President, I have the opportunity to meet many great local leaders, and AWC is so fortunate to have Councilmember Wilkerson as President. She knows how to bring people together in divided times and is exactly the right leader at the right time for AWC.”
Wilkerson has served on the AWC Board since 2021 and the Spokane City Council since 2020. “With her background as a small business owner and working with nonprofits, AWC President Wilkerson has a strong foundation in community collaboration,” said AWC CEO Deanna Dawson. “She has brought that experience and passion to the AWC Board, and we are honored to have her as our new Board President.”
Councilmember Wilkerson’s election as President of AWC means that both nonpartisan statewide organizations devoted to local leadership are headed up by leaders from Spokane. “I was thrilled to learn that my friend and colleague Betsy Wilkerson was elected President of the Association of Washington Cities,” said Spokane County Commissioner Mary Kuney, who serves as President of the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC). “WSAC and AWC have a long history of partnership, and working together to get things done. I am confident that this partnership will only strengthen under President Wilkerson’s leadership.”
The AWC Board of Directors is the association’s governing body. The Board is comprised of 25 directors, 23 of whom are mayors or city councilmembers from Washington cities or towns, and two non-elected city officials who also serve as the president and past president of the Washington City/County Management Association.
“It has been an absolute honor serving on the Board and working with this group of bright, passionate public servants with great ideas to drive our cities forward,” said AWC President Wilkerson. “Our 281 cities and towns are diverse in perspective and each of them brings something unique to the table. I look forward to bringing our voices together to create opportunities for all.”
AWC serves its members through advocacy, education, and services. Founded in 1933, AWC is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation that represents Washington's cities and towns before the state legislature, the state executive branch, and with regulatory agencies. Membership is voluntary. However, AWC consistently maintains 100% participation from Washington’s 281 cities and towns.
AWC also provides training, data and publications, and programs such as the AWC Employee Benefit Trust, AWC Risk Management Service Agency, AWC Workers’ Comp Retro, AWC Drug and Alcohol Consortium, and AWC GIS Consortium.
A complete list of AWC Board of Directors is available on the association’s website.