COLUMBIA POOL — A squeaky wheel can be greased, but sometimes other wheels work just as hard without making a noise. This is also true in the business world: sometimes it’s the quiet people who hide behind the radar who do the most. The Basin Business Journal would like to know more about these people.

“We’re trying to find people in Eastern Washington, young professionals under 40 who are making a difference in the workplace or in their communities,” said Janis Rountree, director of advertising for the Basin Business Journal. “I mean, there are so many people who do great things, but they don’t like to brag about what they do. People help non-profit organizations; they help organizations and do volunteer work. We want to give these people a little recognition and say, ‘Hey, look at what these guys are doing.'”

Of course, most of these people won’t stand up and speak up, so Poslovni žurnal invites anyone who wants to nominate someone in their community for the “40 under 40” list. Nominations began May 1 and will be accepted through June 30, with the list published in the July 26 issue of the Journal. The list will include people who demonstrate excellence in their company or organization and contribute to its overall success, stand out among their peers and colleagues, demonstrate strong community involvement and are 39 years of age or younger on August 24, 2023.

Nominations can be submitted at https://bit.ly/BBJ-40u40-2023. The online form asks for the candidate’s place of residence, their company or organization, and of course their age, as well as a brief description of how the person demonstrates excellence. There is also an option to upload some letters of support, but these are optional.

It’s also perfectly fine for people who qualify to self-nominate, Rountree added.

Rountree said the intent is to highlight the leaders of tomorrow. Many of today’s actors are getting old and retiring, she said.

“Who will replace their shoes?” she asked.

Joel Martin is a busy writer, paginator and elderly dad joke teller who recently celebrated 26 years at the Columbia Basin Herald. He can be reached at [email protected].