First off Jeff, congratulations on making the list as #1 in WA. That's quite an honor, and you and your staff should be very proud.
In going through the list I was very surprised to see that, at one time or another over many years, I've been to 17 of the places mentioned, either the primary winner, or a runner up,
AL - Big Bob Gibson's (Decatur)
GA - B's Cracklin' BBQ (Atlanta) and Southern Soul (St Simons Island)
IL - Lem's and Honey1 (Chicago)
KY - Old Hickory and Moonlight (Owensboro)
SC - Scott's (Hemingway and Charleston)
TN - B.E. Scott's (Lexington)
TX - Louis Mueller's (Taylor)
FL - 4 Rivers (Winter Park) and Jenkin's (Jacksonville)
NY - Hometown BBQ - (Brooklyn)
IN - Bomber's BBQ (Munster)
MD - Pioneer Pit Beef (Baltimore)
MI - Two Scott's BBQ (Grand Rapids)
WA - Jeff's Texas Style BBQ (Marysville)
Obviously, the last place on the list is your place and my visit was around a year ago. I was in Seattle for a couple days on business and decided to spend a weekend with my brother and his wife. He had worked for Boeing as an aeronautical engineer for around 25 years, retired and sold their house in suburban Seattle, and bought a house on nearby Camano Island. On Friday night we went out for dinner to what they call their favorite BBQ place, which as it turned out to be, was your business. We shared some ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and sausage, all of which were damn good. The service was excellent, also. You should be commended, and your award is well deserved.
Best wishes for a prosperous future.