2016 Community Impact Awards: Business of the Year – Large

Gold Award:
McKinstry
Location: Seattle | Employees: 1,800 | Top Exec: Dean Allen, CEO | mckinstry.com

Mckinstry, a seattle design-build firm specializing in construction, energy and facility services, views community impact through a wide-angle lens. Its projects not only have to satisfy the owners; they also must be good for the occupants and the environment. We are inspired by projects that contribute to a sense of place, build business cases for sustainability and house innovation, says CEO Dean Allen. Simply put, investing our time, talent and philanthropy in our communities makes good business sense. From behind-the-scenes upgrades that improve the learning environment in school buildings to new buildings at the cutting edge of sustainability and comfort, the 56-year-old companys work centers on people and places that shape lives. For example, McKinstry worked with Mortenson Construction to renovate Beacon Hills 83-year-old Pacific Tower and save a historic landmark, which has since become a hub for social service agencies and health care training programs. The companys vision of together, building a thriving planet includes an ongoing commitment to the communities where we live and work. n

Silver Award:
Columbia Bank
Location: Tacoma | Employees: 1,875 | Top Exec: Melanie Dressel, president/CEO | columbiabank.com

Relationship banking is the foundation of Columbia Bank, a Northwest community bank, with more than 140 branches throughout Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Columbia Bank offers a broad range of financial services to businesses and individuals while actively providing support in the communities it serves. Columbia Bank believes that giving lies at the heart of being a community bank. Last year, the company logged 19,000 volunteer hours in its communities and raised nearly $230,000 for homeless shelters, cancer research and other local causes.