Avista honored for charitable giving to WSU medical school

Avista Corp. is among eight companies that will be honored Thursday in Olympia by Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman.

Avista will be recognized for its $1.6 million in charitable giving in Washington in 2017, which included $25,000 to establish an endowed scholarship at the Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. The money comes from the Avista Foundation and Avista Corp.’s shareholders; it is not included in utility rates.

Avista will receive the National Association of Secretaries of State Medallion award, along with three other companies being honored for providing paid time off for their employees to volunteer. They are: Columbia Bank of Tacoma; Cordell, Neher & Company of Wenatchee; and The Doty Group of Tacoma.

“I’m proud to recognize large and small companies for their outstanding efforts to make Washington communities better places to live, work, and thrive,” Wyman said in a news release.

Four other organizations will be recognized for their charitable efforts: Bank of America; AAA Washington; Mission Support Alliance, of Richland; and Molina Healthcare of Washington Inc.