Message from the President - August 2011

This summer is on track for being a summer stock full of success. And with the Lacey Chamber, success is breaking out all over. Thanks more than anything to our great members, partners, and volunteers.

            If you haven’t heard by now, the first ever South Sound BBQ Festival hit the ball right out of the park. Frankly, it was smokin’. They took a lot of ribbing, but we all owe a big thanks to Al Eckroth and his team, who included some sizzlingly energetic people. The kind of people we have in great supply here at the Lacey Chamber—like Lowell Gordon of Creative Office (and Chamber Vice President) and Dan Phillips of 4-D Computers who were in charge of facilities; Kelly Hammeren, who headed up our marketing; Marv Kopp of Edward Jones and Chris Lester of Chris Lester Insurance, in charge of getting the food and the backyard joes corralled; Joan Keller of Virgil Adams Real Estate organized the judges; and Mike Thompson of Capital City Press, who was a great overall sponsor for all things in print. Thanks are also in order to staff members Amanda Graham and Sceni Foster, for their constant support and efforts, and planning committee members Stephen Capps, Tammy Redmon, Jane Walker, Marny Bright, Jeff Kopp, Keith Curry, and Angelique Wilson.

            I’d also like to thank Lenny Greenstein and his team for manning the Chamber corn booth. Lenny was great. If you had something to tell him he was willing to lend an ear¾and sell you one too. And he was humble. Every time I told him what a great job he was doing, he said, “Aw shucks…”

            Thanks too to Karen Shade and ACU. Her chicken wing eating competition had the good times flying and got plucked out for mention in the after-event newspaper article. And a special thank you to our weather sponsor Patrick Davison of Guild Mortgage, former Lacey Chamber president, well known for his sunny disposition.

            A very, very big thank you to Jason Hammeren, manager of Cabela’s, for providing the space and being the generous host for our event.

Thanks to all the volunteers that made the day special. It was a huge success. I wish I had space to call you all out by name.

            And speaking of huge successes, have you seen the new Community Resource Guide? It’s absolutely fantastic. A huge thank you to Sceni Foster for making it happen. It is truly a collector’s item worthy of our 50 years of Chamber success. Thanks also to Janice Swain and the Williams Group for layout and design, and to Mike Thompson of Capitol City Press for a top quality job of printing. Pick up your copy at the Chamber office or check out the online version at www.LaceyChamber.com.

            Success wouldn’t be possible without community partnerships and volunteering. So be sure to turn out for our Forum on August 3 to learn about how Jon Tunheim of the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office is helping make things better. He’s got some new initiatives in process, like a gang prevention task force, Target Zero, and the Family Safety Team.  Jon was elected Thurston County Prosecutor not long ago, but he’s been with the Thurston County Prosecutor’s office for 23 years.  He received his undergraduate degree in physics from South Dakota State University and his law degree from the University of Puget Sound School of Law.  He has personally prosecuted cases involving charges ranging from drug possession to murder, specializing in the prosecution of sexual assault, domestic violence and crimes against children.  Jon and his wife Marcia, also an attorney, have four sons.

            He is also active in several community charities.  He served on the board of Child Care Action Council and was its president from 2007-2010. He serves on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Washington and was its president from 2006–2008. He also serves on the board of the Family Support Center of South Sound and is an active member of the West Olympia Rotary Club.

            Come out and see him in person. We look forward to an informative and interesting program. Be sure to reserve your Forum seat online, it helps us plan and you save money! Get the most from your Chamber and make your summer successful too. Partner up with your premier business resource, the Lacey Chamber of Commerce.

Message from the President 2010

A couple of weeks ago I went to the 5:01 Surge. Have you been to one lately? It was truly a great time to network with fellow Chamber members. This month’s Surge was at the new O Bee Credit Union on Martin Way in Hawks Prairie. One thing that I have always wondered is why the whole membership does not attend these events. They are more than just a mixer, they are opportunities to trade information with other members, meet new members, make new friends, and see what features and benefits Chamber members provide. I have gone to the Surges over the years and have always come away feeling glad that I went. Please join us for the next one August 12th at Red Wind Casino.  Did I mention it’s FREE and the food and drink is always great!!

Our summer picnic was a great success—we enjoyed a beautiful summer day at Woodland Creek Community Park! Sceni and Amanda did a great job of preparing the food and making all the arrangements for the 80 plus members that attended. I especially enjoyed the motorcycle gang that entertained us with their gruff way, synchronized riding, and showing off their high horsepower. What a treat.

Our Human Resource Committee is getting ready to roll out the new job description for the open position of executive director and it will be structured differently than the previous position. A number of people have inquired as to when we will post the opening. The current plans are that it will most likely be posted around the 15^th of August. We hope to make a selection by October 1 and have the new director in place by October 15 just in time for the auction—what a way to start a new job.

Byron Burgess from Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves (ESGR) will be our speaker at our August Forum. Bryon, as a representative of ESGR, advocates for Reserves and Guardsmen who are having difficulties with their employers as they attempt to return to their old workplace.  The subject of his talk is “Developing a culture in which all American employers support and value the service of their military employees.” He will be speaking about what ESGR does and will briefly discuss the Federal law Uniform Service Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)

January Forum - Wind & Solar Power

Casey Cochran from Puget Sound Energy will present how the "Green" Movement is doing.  Questions I would like answered are:  Are the dollars we are spending a good value?   Is the "Green Movement" a fad?  Or is this a sustainable way of producing inexpensive long term power for our daily needs?  Is wind energy getting the job done in our area?  Do we produce enough to make a real impact on the need for more conventional power generation?  And finally is this the future way of producing power?

With regard to solar power, can we depend on the solar movement to really have a reduction at our home and thereby reduce our home power bill if we install a system, or is the tax incentives strong enough to help us in this large capital outlay.  Plan on attending the January 6th forum at the Worthington Center in Lacey.

Looking to the Future

By Jeff Powell

Tthe month of December is great.  It has a way of helping us recognize our gains from the past year and motivates us to start planning for the next year.  On that note, let's talk about planning for next year.  Our December forum will have a three-member panel of experts in the financial industry - Dan Yerrington, President and CEO of South South Bank; Lori Drummond, President and CEO of Olympia Federal Savings; and Bruce Crammer, President and CEO of O Bee Credit Union.  The panel will answer questions about the forecast for, not just next year, but the next two or three years.  Some of the questions the panel will answer:  What is the best way for a small business person to get a loan for their business? How to prepare for the future if you have a need for capital for day-to-day operations?  Is there a program for a small business owner to buy a new facility?  Plan to attend the December 2 Forum to have an opportunity to ask your own questions.

Have you checked out the new Lacey Chamber Web site?  What a great tool for Chamber members and residents alike!  Thanks to O Bee Credit Union for sponsorship of the site.  The new design flows well and offers members many benefits, such as a business resource directory, calendar of community and chamber events, and an on-line member directory.  To drive more business your way, consider adding a link from the membership directory to your Web site for $72 a year - that's only $6.00 a month.  Remember the chamber Web site is often the first place new residents and businesses go to for local resources.

A special thanks to Patrick Davidson for his past year of service to the Chamber as the President.  He made the tough decisions and stayed the course through a very trying economic time.  Thanks for your leadership Patrick!

Lacey Chamber: A Wealth of Information

Congratulations! ... As you puruse this [guide], you will find a wealth of information about one of the Pacific Northwest's  great places to live, work and play -- the City of Lacy! Whether you're new to the community or a long time resident, the articles, facts, figures, and business listings are an invaluable resource to assist you in finding the information that you need!

As the 2009 President of the Lacey Chamber of Commerce, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the great City of Lacey! In case you haven't heard, Lacey truly is booming! In a time of financial uncertainty, Lacey has contiued to experience economic growth, leading Thruston County in job gowth and retention, as well as boasting the highest median household icome in the county.

Please join the Lacey Chamber of Commerce at our next monthly forum luncheon, held on the first Wednesday of each month. Each forum provides you with a great opportunity to connect with other business leaders and to stay up-to-date on topics impacting our community. For more information on the program, please contact the Chamber.

I am honored to serve as your Lacey Chamber of Commerce President and look forward to partnering and sharing with you all that Lacey has to offer.

Patrick Davidson
Lacey Chamber of Commerce President 2009