William Conner gets ‘Business Leadership Star Award’

Published 2:39 pm Friday, May 28, 2010

William Conner, founder of Bellevue’s Conner Development Company, has received the “Business Leadership Star Award” for his outstanding leadership and dedication to improving the health of Washington state’s business community.

The award was presented Tuesday, May 25, by Enterprise Washington and The Business Institute of Washington.

“I am extremely honored to be receiving this award,” Conner said. “Working to strengthen the business climate in Washington state has been a priority of mine for many years.”

Conner has been an advocate for Washington’s private sector since he started his own construction company almost 50 years ago. He has travelled the state talking to business colleagues, helping them understand how important it is for them to be politically engaged and informed.

“Business owners need to recognize that what happens in Olympia directly affects their bottom line and that all employers and employees must pay attention to the decisions being made by our legislators,” Conner said.

Conner has served as President of the Seattle Master Builders Association (SMBA) and President of the Washington State Home Builder’s Association. He was twice named “Builder of the Year” by the SMBA. In 1995, Conner was an inaugural inductee into the University of Washington Department of Building Construction Hall of Fame.

As part of Enterprise Washington’s work to strengthen the business community and send more business-savvy legislators to Olympia, the organization uses the award to highlight the work of business people or legislators who have done an exemplary job of helping to make Washington a more business-friendly state.