Dean C. Allen, CEO of Seattle-based mechanical contractor McKinstry, doesn't want to hear that job candidates don't need to be good at math or that science isn't for everyone.
To help students and faculty focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and careers, and to boost the quality of job candidates for his firm and other state employers, he was instrumental in launching the advocacy group WashingtonSTEM. In a state starting to rival Silicon Valley as a technology incubator, its mission has caught on.