AAA Washington

We’re proud to share this year’s AAA School Safety Patrol Hall of Fame inductees! These 10 exemplary patrollers stand out as leaders among their peers in modeling good patrol behavior and taking active roles in keeping their classmates safe. Congratulations and welcome to the 2024 AAA School Safety Patrol Hall of Fame! • Matty Rogers, Moran Prairie Elementary, Spokane • Elide Ortiz-Padilla, Enterprise Elementary, Federal Way • Karijalena Johnstone, Oak Harbor Intermediate, Oak Harbor • Haven Hepner, Grant Elementary, East Wenatchee • Brielle Schaber, Indian Trail Elementary, Spokane • Phillipa Bartsch, Echo Lake Elementary, Shoreline • Wolf Geide, Queen Anne Elementary, Seattle • Quinn Kortman, Lakeland Hills Elementary, Auburn • Aubrie Kartchner, Marcus Whitman Elementary, Richland • Kellen Caldelaria, Balboa Elementary, Spokane It’s also important to acknowledge the contribution of our AAA School Safety Patrol Advisors to Patrollers’ safety and education. This year we’re proud to recognize two advisors! The annual “School Safety Patrol Advisor of the Year” was awarded Debby Smith from Moran Prairie Elementary in Spokane, Washington We also awarded the first “AAA School Safety Patrol Legend” award to Mark Owen from Echo Lake Elementary in Shoreline, Washington. “The AAA School Safety Patrol Legend Award is a celebration of those who have made an indelible mark on the AAA School Safety Patrol program within their community,” said Erin Rogers, community relations program manager. “After 30 years of service as a School Safety Patrol Advisor, Mark is retiring, and we are beyond proud of the work he has put into making his school a safer place. For three decades, he has shown the Safety Patrollers what it means to be an exemplary leader.”

Happy Pride! This year, we kicked off our celebrations by joining Spokane Pride Parade. It’s our third year being part of this wonderful event and the positive energy it brings. Our employees also showed their passion for Pride and sustainability at a Seward Park Beach Clean-up, a collaborative event between Seattle Pride and the Puget Soundkeepers. Collectively, over 100 lbs of trash were picked up! We’d like to give a big shout out to our employees who joined these events and showed allyship in their own way.

It's wonderful to see this highlight for two Shoreline AAA School Safety Patrol rock stars - Philippa Bartsch and Mark Owens! Philippa is one of ten 2024 inductees into the AAA School Safety Patrol Hall of Fame and Mark was awarded the AAA School Safety Patrol Legend Award recognizing his 30+ years of service as a School Safety Patrol Advisor at Echo Lake Elementary School. Congratulations!

How do we get more women in the leadership pipeline? Our CEO Heather Snavely has some ideas.

Our fleet is mighty, but with over a million members across Washington and North Idaho, we can’t do it all on our own! This Small Business Month, we’re proud to recognize the network of small businesses that are an integral part of our automotive operations. We partner with over 500 small businesses, including 320+ local Emergency Roadside Service providers who help members on the road and more than 180 AAA-approved auto repair shops. These are more than just businesses – they are families; they are dreams; they are the beating heart of our communities. Our choice to partner with these small businesses is not only because we share a common purpose – to keep people moving, safe, and informed – but because it’s mutually beneficial. AAA-approved auto repair shops undergo rigorous audits, ensuring the highest standards of service to members. Similarly, our network providers enjoy increased leads and stability through enhanced access to dispatch calls, as well as gaining insights into emerging trends, technologies, and industry best practices. It's amazing to see the remarkable growth and journeys of our partners, like Dan Kelleher and R&R Star Towing. What started as a one-truck independent operator more than two decades ago blossomed into a thriving operation of over 15 trucks servicing a staggering 1,100 monthly service calls for members in North Seattle. They even joined us for our first Batteries to Branches event this year in Alderwood!

This Memorial Day Weekend will be a busy one! Our VP of Travel Services, Michelle Glass stopped by FOX13 to chat about what to expect on the road and in the skies this weekend:

A big thank you to Western Washington Clean Cities Coalition for featuring us in your member spotlight! We take immense pride in being a part of the Clean Cities Coalition, dedicated to advancing clean transportation throughout Washington State. Together, we're driving positive change for a greener, more sustainable future! #CleanTransportation #Sustainability #CleanEnergy #CommunityImpact

Our first Batteries to Branches event kicks off next week in Lynnwood! We're turning these batteries to branches by donating a tree to be planted by Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust for every battery recycled, serviced or replaced. We'll have four more free events throughout Western Washington this summer for anyone to come and get their battery checked or drop off an old car battery. Join us! Find out where we'll be and more about the event at the link.

Our team was hard at work last week – but in a different way than usual! From Sammamish to Spokane, 46 AAA Washington volunteers helped make our state a little greener through habitat rehabilitation and litter cleanup. Over at Lake Sammamish State Park, our volunteers made a significant impact removing invasive blackberry plants from a field along the Issaquah River. Luckily, we had our long-time partner Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust leading the event to show us the best way to trim and remove the blackberry bushes so they don’t come back and providing the needed tools! This was just a first step though. Once the field is cleared of invasive plants, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust will plant native plants to restore this salmon habitat. In Spokane, our employees partnered with the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Department to lend a hand in keeping Manito Park pristine. They cleaned up lots of plastic litter, particularly confetti.

One of the biggest distractions for teen drivers? Other teens in the car. Our CEO Heather Snavely discusses anxieties that come with teaching teen drivers and how parents can influence better driving behaviors.