VANCOUVER — Clark County Republican Women (CCRW) invite the general public to attend their 2017 Installation of Officers and Gala on Thu., Jan. 12. The event begins with a 6 p.m. Social and 7 p.m. Dinner at Club Green Meadows, 7703 NE 72nd Ave., Vancouver.
The dinner will feature keynote speaker Susan Hutchison, chairman of the Washington State Republican Party. New 2017 CCRW executive officers will also be installed. Executive board members recently elected include Connie Jo Freeman, president; Stacie Jesser, first vice president; Liz Pike, second vice president; Anna Miller, secretary; and Suzanne Gerhardt, treasurer.
A Prime Rib Dinner Buffet will be served. Admission cost for CCRW Members is $24, non-members pay $30. Advanced reservations are required; email CCRWClubInfo@gmail.com, call (360) 600-6668 or reply on Facebook: Clark County Republican Women.
Annual membership in CCRW is $35. Members also receive automatic membership enrollment in the WA Federation of Republican Women and the National Federation of Republican Women.
The Jan. 12 keynote speaker, Susan Hutchison, is best known in Western Washington as a distinguished TV news anchor, serving the Puget Sound region as a trusted broadcaster and community leader for more than three decades. For much of her career at KIRO-TV (CBS), she anchored the highest rated newscasts in Seattle, receiving numerous awards, including five Emmys for producing, writing, and reporting news and documentaries.
For 10 years, Hutchison was executive director of the Charles and Lisa Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences, where she led the philanthropic foundation in granting $100 million to arts organizations, science programs, and educational institutions. Hutchison has been a devoted volunteer with numerous and diverse nonprofit organizations. President George W. Bush appointed her to the board of the Wilson Center in Washington D.C. She just completed her term as Chair of Young Life and is a member of the board of Seattle Art Museum. In the past, she has served on the boards of Children’s Hospital, Salvation Army, Seattle Symphony as Chair, CRISTA/ World Concern as Chair, and Discovery Institute.
As the daughter of an Air Force Lt. General, and wife of a U.S. Marine Corps Colonel activated for the Iraq war, Susan’s patriotism runs deep. During the 2003 Iraq War, she worked with the Red Cross and the Marine Corps to help military families. She set up a scholarship in her husband’s name at the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and personally raised $75k to fund it.
Hutchison has been married 40 years to her high school sweetheart, Andy, an executive at Boeing and they reside in Seattle. They have two grown sons. The family is active at Seattle’s University Presbyterian Church. She enjoys sculling on Lake Washington, hiking, and skiing. She is an art enthusiast and painter.
The mission of CCRW is to encourage women in elected roles and supportive roles, promote an informed electorate, provide quality educational programs, promote Republican ideals and work for the election of GOP nominees. Club members strive for courage, commitment, compassion and civility in Clark County politics.
