IT’S BEEN AN exciting start to spring, and the spring community events are springing up on the Chamber’s readerboard. Remember to book your space early as our team is beginning to say, “Sorry, those weeks are taken” too often.
Our Jefferson County Community Leadership Awards ceremony for 2023 was well attended and popular with both nominees and guests. Our sponsors and community partners were instrumental in allowing us to again host these awards for our community.
Congratulations to the awardees Adeline Gellert-DePalma, Future Business Leader, Port Townsend High School; Sarah Spaeth, Citizen of the Year, Jefferson Land Trust; Jake Ramsey, A Taxi Cab Company, Rising Entrepreneur; Jake Davidson, Jefferson Healthcare, Young Professional of the Year; and Cathy & Pete Langley, The Port Townsend Foundry, Business Leaders of the Year.
We were excited to participate in the grand opening on Saturday of the Port Townsend Farmers Market cutting the ribbon and cheering on the parade of goats, an annual favorite. Just as exciting was that two of the grantees, Hopscotch Farm and SoulCedar Farm from our last Chamber Foundation Community Grant awards are back at the market.
The grants assisted them in new signage, marketing materials and labels and both did a fantastic job.
Thank you to all our members who contribute to the Community Development Fund and contribute to the economic development we encourage. We’ll have a new grant cycle in fall so watch for this on the Chamber site and in your inbox.
April and May are busy with Chamber events. At 10 a.m. April 14, Eron Berg, executive director of the Port of Port Townsend, will be our Chamber Café presenter sharing all the activities of the port.
If you think all they do is run a boatyard, drop into this Zoom event, and learn how many projects they run for the community and what that means for you. Have questions? Bring them, we have plenty of time for Q&A in the schedule.
From 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. April 18, the Chamber will produce live, along with our hosts Northwest Maritime Center, a Chamber Connections event on the State of Washington Tourism. The Washington State Tourism Team will share legislative updates, metrics, programs and collaborations, grants as well as news and events. There will be ample opportunity for Q&A as well as sips and snacks and connecting with one another.
This is open to all our tourism partners throughout the North Olympic Peninsula and those engaged in tourism-related businesses, or anyone just interested in tourism or our visitors.
There is no cost to attend. However, advance registration is requested to allow for sips and snacks for all attendees.
Join us to learn more about PEG — the Pet Emergency Group — for the Olympic Peninsula at our Friday, Chamber Café from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Zoom.
Sally Rodgers, president of Pet Emergency Group for the Olympic Peninsula, will join us to discuss the challenges of finding after hours and weekend or even business hours emergency care for your pets.
Learn how this group has been working and growing in their quest to fill this need affecting so many of us across the Peninsula.
That trip to Poulsbo in the middle of the night can end in frustration and at worst, no care. Let’s work together to bring quality of care to the Peninsula for our furry best friends.
All the above events require pre-registration for access and no membership or fees are required.
On May 3, the Chamber’s Women in Leadership along with our partner, the Port Townsend Film Festival, will host from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 221 Taylor St., in Port Townsend, a short film and interactive workshop, “What would you do if you knew you would succeed?”
We will provide sips and snacks and lots of popcorn. However, please feel free to brown bag a lunch.
We’ll be showing a short film, The Empowerment Project, followed by group discussion and time for personal connecting as well.
The collaborative dialogue will be led by new Port Townsend resident, Dana Van Ness. Dana is a Certified Master Integrative Life Coach, speaker and writer. She inspires others to live their best life possible by helping them uncover their own unique path to success.
Attendance is limited to 40, so please register early on the Chamber website. This program is not limited to women, all are invited to attend.
Chamber contact info and registration information for all events can be found at www.jeffcountychamber/events.
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Arlene Alen is the executive director of The Chamber of Jefferson County. She is writing a regular column about the chamber for the Peninsula Daily News.