06/04/2026
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) General Assembly in downtown Seattle. I also took advantage of riding the Sound Transit train to avoid traffic and parking fees.
This assembly brought together local elected officials, business leaders, and regional partners to discuss the future of transportation, economic development, and regional competitiveness. Featured speakers included former Governor Chris Gregoire, CEO of Challenge Seattle; a presentation by Boston Consulting Group; and a fireside chat featuring Erik Nordstrom, CEO of Nordstrom; Kerri Schroeder, Pacific Northwest Region Chair of JPMorgan Chase; and Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, moderated by Josh Brown, the Executive Director of PSRC.
We were asked to think about several important questions: What is the biggest barrier to our region's economic competitiveness? What can we do to strengthen our competitiveness? Which business-government partnerships could have the greatest impact? For me, the conversations reinforced that maintaining our economic competitiveness requires a sustained focus on transportation, infrastructure, housing affordability, workforce development, and permitting efficiency. Our region has tremendous strengths, but we cannot take those advantages for granted. Continued collaboration between local governments, employers, educational institutions, and community organizations is essential.