BELLEVUE, Wash. – Megan Clubb, President and CEO of Baker Boyer Bank in Walla Walla, is the chair of the “CEO Collection” for the 2010 Celebrate Washington Wine gala dinner and auction. The annual event benefits the Washington State University Viticulture and Enology Program.
Each year business and community leaders from throughout the state are invited to contribute a bottle of one of their favorite Washington wines. Donations are combined into “CEO Collection” lots for the annual auction. Each bottle bears a custom tag identifying its donor.
The ninth annual “Celebrate Washington Wine” black-tie gala will be held on Saturday, Jan. 30, at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville. This year’s proceeds will be devoted primarily to student scholarships and exchange programs.
“The CEO Collection lots always include a unique assortment of some of the finest Washington wines and are a popular auction item,” according to Nancy Harnasch, chair of the auction organizing committee. “We’re pleased to have Megan Clubb leading this year’s effort to bring some interesting contributions to these collections.”
In addition to her position as bank president, Clubb is co-owner with her husband Marty of L’Ecole No. 41 Winery. She was raised in Walla Walla and also serves as a trustee for Whitman College, vice president of the William D. Ruckelshaus Foundation, and as an advisory board member of the WSU/University of Washington Ruckelshaus Center. She recently was selected by Gov. Chris Gregoire to be part of a trade delegation to Washington DC, and was just named to the Puget Sound Business Journal’s list of 16 women of influence in Washington State.
The annual black-tie gala will feature a reception, silent auction, live auction and dinner prepared by the award-winning Chateau Ste. Michelle culinary staff, including wines paired with each course. Auction items will include exciting adventures, romantic getaways, exclusive dinners and wine tastings, and premium and rare Washington wines.
In its eight-year history the annual gala has netted more than $1 million for the WSU Viticulture and Enology Program that provides scientific research and educates a new generation of winemakers and wine grape growers to support the state’s growing wine industry.
For more information, tickets, or to contribute an item to the CEO Collection and other special collections or to the auction, contact Linda Bailey at 509-335-7772 or lmbailey@wsu.edu.
Donations may also be made online by going to www.wineauction.wsu.edu, clicking on “Support the program” on the left, then clicking on “Contribute to a special collection.” The donation form is on the right side of the page.
For convenience, donations may also be purchased and delivered directly to WSU by contacting Allison Heflin at The Wine Alley, info@thewinealley.com.
-30-