Strengthening Regional Ties: PNWER Delegates Visit State Capitals

U.S. and Canadian delegates of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) have just wrapped up a series of four visits to our U.S. state capitals as part of ongoing conversations between regional leaders across the bi-national Pacific Northwest. These visits provide exclusive opportunities for PNWER delegates to advocate for regional issues, foster stronger cross-border connections and align strategic priorities for PNWER’s work over the next year. Connecting leaders across borders is an integral part of our mission at PNWER to build relationships that create long-lasting, positive impacts across our region, and we’re grateful for all who helped make this year’s visits a success. Continue reading to learn more about the delegation’s visits to the capitals of Montana, Washington, Idaho and Oregon, as well as a recap of our event in Alaska this winter.

Bringing Collaborative Value Across Borders
As part of our mandate to foster greater regional cooperation, hosting these in-person, cross-border meetings are essential to ensuring that leaders from both nations have dedicated time to engage and build relationships with leaders in their neighboring jurisdictions. These direct interactions are invaluable for addressing shared challenges, exchanging ideas and identifying opportunities for collaboration. By facilitating these discussions, we’re better able to bridge the gap across borders, enhance regional partnerships and drive long-term economic growth and innovation across the Pacific Northwest. The threat of tariffs on U.S.-Canadian trade was a recurring and relevant theme in many of these discussions. Recognizing the importance of maintaining the deep-rooted trade relationship, PNWER Executive Director Matt Morrison released a statement on tariffs on February 3, calling for cooperation between the two nations. Read the statement here. 

Visiting Canadian Delegates
PNWER U.S. Capital Visits wouldn’t be complete without the participation of our Canadian delegates, who contributed valuable perspectives on cross-border economic development opportunities and emerging issues, and shaped discussions around international collaboration within our region. The Canadian delegation included:

• Minister Rick Glumac, Minister of State for Trade, British Columbia 
• MLA Garth Rowswell, Legislative Assembly of Alberta
• MLA Shane Getson, Legislative Assembly of Alberta
• MLA Justin Wright, Legislative Assembly of Alberta
• Tim Olsen, Director of U.S. and Latin America, International Relations, Government of Alberta
• Andrew Fisher, Director of the U.S. West, Government of Alberta
• Theresa Ho, Chief of Staff, BC Minister of State for Trade Rick Glumac
• John Pratt, Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat Advisor, British Columbia
• Evan Surridge, Senior Intergovernmental Officer, U.S. and Latin America, International Relations, Government of Alberta
• Kristi Swihart, Senior Intergovernmental Officer, U.S. and Latin America, International Relations, Government of Alberta

Regional State Capital Visits

Visit 1: Helena, Montana | Jan. 13-16
The delegation met with over 15 state leaders, including Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, former PNWER president and Montana Senator Mike Cuffe, and Senate and House leadership. The group also had productive discussions with Department of Livestock Executive Director Mike Honeycutt, Interim Agriculture Director Zach Coccoli, State Vet Dr. Tahnee Szymanski, Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Director Christy Clark, Department of Commerce Director Paul Green, and Montana Mining Association Executive Director Matt Vincent. Delegates presented jurisdictional, energy, and AIS updates to four legislative committees, including the Senate and House Energy Committee and Senate Natural Resources committee, which elevated new opportunities for partnerships across the Montana-Canada border.  

Montana’s deep economic ties with Canadian jurisdictions–especially Alberta–guided much of the conversation during the delegation’s visit. Notably, the group discussed border and trade, the critically-linked U.S. and Canada livestock industry, critical mineral supply chains, regional invasive mussel prevention and the deep north-south ties of our energy systems. 

The group had extensive discussions with state leadership on the shared values of Canada and the U.S., particularly between Montana and Alberta, recognizing how integrated our economies are and that significant disruptions would be destabilizing to both sides of the border. A notable outcome of the delegation’s presentation to the Senate Energy Committee was interest shown in developing a resolution in conjunction with the Government of Alberta on energy and economic corridor ties. PNWER is working closely with the Governments of Montana and Alberta to draft this important resolution. 

Visit 2: Olympia, Washington | Jan. 21-22
The delegation continued its state capital tour with a stop in Olympia, Washington, for energetic conversations with over 20 legislators, governor’s advisors and department leaders. Canadian delegates also met with Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck and spoke with the House Republican and Democratic caucuses. 

The group’s dialogue covered a broad range of shared challenges and demonstrated the criticality of these cross-border partnerships. One key topic was cross-border trade, as Washington state is one of the most trade-dependent states in the nation and relies heavily on its relationship with British Columbia. Washington and BC leaders echoed sentiments around keeping their partnership active amidst threats of sweeping tariffs on U.S.-Canada trade, which would be detrimental to industries and communities on both sides of the border. 
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PNWER’s cross-border hydrogen study between BC and Washington was showcased as an exciting step towards building out the region’s hydrogen economy, which has potential for integration with transportation and supply chain corridors. Preparedness for FIFA 2026 was top-of-mind, as Washington and BC work together to increase transportation capacity, emergency response preparedness and tourism marketing to put the Pacific Northwest on the world’s stage. 

The visit emphasized the importance of Washington’s trading relationship with British Columbia as a regional driver for economic growth, job creation and seamless supply chains. Maintaining this relationship – especially now – is paramount to support our region’s key industries and ensure long-term economic resilience. 

Visit 3: Boise, Idaho | Jan. 22-24
​The delegation enjoyed an abundance of productive conversations with leaders including Idaho Governor Brad Little, Speaker of the House Mike Moyle, Senate Pro Tempore Kelly Arthur Anton, House Majority Leader Representative Jason Monks and Senate Minority Leader Senator Melissa Wintrow. Meetings with the Idaho Department of Commerce and U.S. Senator Jim Risch’s staff further enabled the delegation to discuss common challenges and opportunities for cross-border collaboration in the coming year. 
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Idaho convened its PNWER State Council on Feb. 23, which comprises public and private sector representatives and is responsible for providing leadership regarding Idaho’s priorities, participation and relations with neighboring PNWER jurisdictions. Co-chairs, Lt. Governor Scott Bedke and Ken Dey of Simplot, led the meeting with representatives from industry, academia and government. The public/private council engaged in productive conversations about PNWER’s initiatives in Idaho, opportunities for involvement in the 2025 PNWER Annual Summit, and ongoing regional priorities for the state. 

Visit 4: Salem, Oregon | Feb. 3-5
In Oregon, the delegation engaged in over 16 productive meetings, including with Senate President Rob Wagner, Oregon Dept. of Agriculture Director Lisa Charpilloz Hanson, Energy and Environment Committee Chair Senator Janeen Sollman, Senate Minority Leader Daniel Bonham, Representative Nancy Nathanson, Rep. Emerson Levy, Senator James Manning, and PNWER delegates Senator David Brock Smith, Senator Lew Frederick and Representative Ed Diehl. The delegation also had a productive meeting with Business Oregon Director Dophorn Cheang and her staff focusing on key regional trade and economic development issues important to Oregon. 

Although Oregon does not share a border with Canada, its trade relationship remains strong, especially within the machinery and equipment manufacturing industry and agriculture sector. Oregon and its Canadian counterparts face a lot of the same challenges–which are addressed more effectively when taken on together. The delegation and Oregon leaders exchanged lessons learned, best practices and possible solutions for trade, economic development and growth opportunities for shared industries. 

On Feb. 4, the PNWER Regional Infrastructure Accelerator team presented an informational “Trains and Tracks 101” session to the Oregon Joint Committee on Transportation. The session educated policymakers about the basics of our region’s freight and passenger rail network, and encouraged the exploration of joint public/private investment to enhance the regional system.

PNWER Economic Leadership Forum | Anchorage, Alaska
In November 2024, PNWER hosted its annual Economic Leadership Forum in Anchorage, Alaska to convene engaging meetings between policymakers and business leaders from Alaska and across the Pacific Northwest. The event was co-located with the Alaska Resource Development Council’s Annual Conference, which enabled attendees from both events to build new connections and dive deeper into session topics. 

Economic Leadership Forum sessions featured insightful panel discussions around critical minerals, energy, transportation, Indigenous tourism, economic corridors and more. Learn more about the event here: https://www.pnwer.org/2024-forum 

Continuing the Conversation
These conversations don’t stop here. We’re excited to build on the momentum from these meetings and invite everyone to join us at the 2025 PNWER Annual Summit in Bellevue, WA July 20-24, 2025. This event is the premier forum for policymakers, business leaders and academics from across the U.S. and Canada to build stronger partnerships and identify solutions to regional challenges. This year’s theme is ‘Building a Resilient Future: Sustainable Growth Through Innovation’. Registration is now open–learn more here: www.pnwer.org/2025-summit.