Brian Moreno jokes that he’s a “glorified volunteer.”
But that doesn’t fully capture what the 38-year-old West Richland resident does for the Tri-Cities, region and state. He is a two-time business owner and volunteers as a leader with numerous local and state organizations, from the Washington Hospitality Association to the Washington State Patrol.
Moreno’s goal is to add value to the groups he works with and the tasks he tackles, and he appears to be doing that and then some.
In addition to owning the McDonald’s restaurant in Othello with his father, he also works as a leadership consultant through his company, Steward Leaders.
His extensive volunteer work has also been a very meaningful part of his life.
He will share his wisdom for creating a successful work environment at the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Businesses’ first-ever “Great Places to Work” event on Nov. 7. Moreno is the guest speaker at the event, which will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick.
Tickets are still available. The cost is $45 per person.
Best Places to Work is a new Journal of Business program designed to celebrate quality local employers as determined by employer and employee surveys.
family business
Moreno spent most of his childhood in Othello, where his father opened a McDonald’s. After high school, Moreno took a job in sales for the Tri-City Americans hockey team, which he thoroughly enjoyed.
But he lacked direction, he said. “I dropped out of Columbia Basin University and didn’t really know where to go. Around that time, my dad said, ‘Have you ever thought about coming back?'” he said. Ta.
So he decided to take over the family business and currently serves as managing partner.
Along the way, he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Kaplan University, a master’s degree in business administration from Washington State University, and a master’s degree in industrial-organizational psychology from Harvard Extension School, one of Harvard University’s 12 degree-granting schools. I got the number. This is useful for those who want to pursue an undergraduate or graduate degree part-time.
Mr. Moreno also launched Steward Leaders, saying, “We work with public, private, and non-profit partners who want to live out our values at the highest level. Our projects include personal coaching and These range from alignment of high-performing teams to regional and organizational change,” the company’s website states.
call to service
Moreno is also active in volunteering, and says the return is at least as good as the donations. “It’s incredibly rewarding to be invited to have these conversations and create programs and make changes,” he said.
His first volunteer board experience was with the Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He is currently president of the Washington Hospitality Association and co-chair of the Washington State Leadership Board. He is a board member of the Columbia Ability Alliance. He also serves on advisory boards for Washington State University, Columbia Basin University, the Pasco Police Department, and the Washington State Patrol.
He has also worked with other organizations, including the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs, and the state Office of Minority and Women’s Enterprise.
Mikey’s Chance Canine Rescue, a local nonprofit organization, also holds a special place in his heart. His wife, Andrea, runs a group dedicated to rescuing dogs.
Moreno said her family, which includes her son Grayson, 14, has a “non-zero” number of puppies at home. “They’re all rescuers. They all have their own quirky stories,” he said, including their 80-pound black animal, Gage, who is the best judge of distance. He is not very good at it, hence his name.
Moreno said Gage was the size of a kitten when he was adopted.
Moreno hopes her volunteer work will inspire others.
“Anyone can do what I do. I’m a guy who’s willing to send out a calendar invite and say, ‘I’ll type that document and follow up on that assignment.’ ,” he told the Journal of Business. “People are hungry for volunteers and other people’s perspectives. If you get involved, there’s a world of opportunity and great things you can create.”
healthy workplace
Moreno also finds meaning in his consulting work and restaurants.
In his opinion, creating a healthy workplace for McDonald’s teams means keeping work simple and allowing them to focus on the right things.
“Our ‘why’ in this organization is that we make happy people make people happy. So when you wake up in the morning, all you have to do is ask yourself, “Am I a happy person?” If not, what am I doing about it? ” he said.
Moreno said he is looking forward to the “Best Places to Work” event, where he will talk about how employers can have the opportunity to create change through fulfilling work. When employees are successful and happy at work, it spills over to their families, friends, neighbors and the community at large, he said.
We also discuss why competition among employers for workers is suboptimal. “There is a healthier view, and we will discuss it in session,” he said. He added: “[Employers]can learn from each other. This is a great opportunity to share. That’s why these types of events exist, to think about how we can do more of the really great things. .”
Easy-to-work workplace ticket
To get tickets to hear Mr. Moreno speak and learn employee engagement best practices from Mid-Columbia’s Great Places to Work program award winners, visit tcjournal.biz/BPTW.