Bellevue-based AAA Washington’s Board of Trustees named Kirk R. Nelson to succeed Charlie Liekweg as president and CEO of the Bellevue based company upon his retirement. Nelson will assume his new role on April 1. AAA Washington provides more than one million members in Washington and northern Idaho with preeminent roadside assistance, leisure travel services and personal-lines insurance products.
Nelson comes to AAA Washington from Qwest Communications, where he has been the Washington president since 1999. Nelson also has extensive experience as a civic leader, including being former chairman of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Association of Washington Business (AWB), the Community Development Roundtable, and the Seattle-King County Sports and Events Council. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Seattle Sports Commission and the Advisory Board of the Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University.
During his 14-year tenure as president and CEO of AAA Washington, Liekweg has led the company to become one of the leading organizations in the AAA federation. In addition to achieving significant financial and member satisfaction achievements, Liekweg pushed for passage of Washington’s teen driving laws and was recognized as the leader of one of the region’s Best Places to Work. Most recently the company celebrated nearly doubling its membership base under his leadership as it passed the one million member mark.
AAA Washington has been serving members and the traveling public since 1904. The organization provides a variety of exclusive benefits, including roadside assistance, discounts, maps and personalized trip planning, to its 1,010,000 members. In addition, its full-service travel and insurance agencies provide products and services for members and the public. Additional information is available through the company’s offices in Washington and northern Idaho, at AAA.com, or by calling 1-800-562-2582.