SEATTLE -- Seattle-based non-profit Discover Your Northwest (DYNW), was selected for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2018 Excellence in Partnerships Award.
The award covers a three year period and recognizes outstanding contributions of any partner organization which participated in the Corps’ recreation or environmental stewardship activities or projects.
“Discover Your Northwest has been a key partner of the Seattle District’s Hiram M. Chittenden Locks for decades,” said District Partnership Program Manager Alana Mesenbrink. “It is without question that their contributions helped make the Ballard Locks one of Seattle’s top tourist destinations with more than 3 million visitors each year.”
As a large non-profit, DYNW serves more than just Corps facilities in the Pacific Northwest. They serve national park sites, national forests and many others. They are licensed to operate in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California and Montana. Their mission is to promote the discovery of northwest public lands, enrich the experience of visitors, and build community stewardship of these special places today and for generations to come.
“DYNW dedicates time and energy to each project as if it was their only partnership,” said Mesenbrink.
DYNW’s Executive Director Jim Adams was personally involved in supporting nine months of special activities held in 2017 for the Locks Centennial commemoration. DYNW was the first partner and Adams was a key member on the Centennial planning team.
“Jim’s community connections were key to successfully coordinating with the many community partners it took to mark this special occasion,” said Mesenbrink. “There were also many community activities the Corps was not involved in planning during the centennial, but Jim and DYNW was always there lending support.”
The locks are a National Historic Site and Seattle icon. They contribute about $1.2 billion a year to the Seattle economy, including over $40 million in added tourism dollars. They are the nation’s busiest locks with over 40,000 vessels transiting the locks each year.
Release no. 19-019