2023 - 2024 Impact Report by Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber

20232024

140 Years of Serving our Business Community

For over 140 years, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber has worked diligently to be the unifying voice for business and catalyst for prosperity in our region. The essential building blocks of our economy are the ideas, ingenuity, and imagination of the people who live and work here. Our economy thrives because of our shared imagination, ambition, and dedication. We owe you a debt of gratitude for contributing to our history, for your devotion to our community, and for joining us as we step forward into a brighter future.

Bold Vision for Tomorrow that Unites our Work Today

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Investing in Future Leaders

We’re devoted to fostering future leadership cohorts with the skills and resources necessary to be successful not only in their campaigns, but in their service to developing our community.

This year, we hosted the return of our dedicated Candidates Academy. This one-day workshop centers on preparing and encouraging exceptional community and business leaders to take up the mantle of service and run for public office.

Creating Opportunities for Impact

We believe business is a force for good. As we apply our heads and hearts, we transform this belief into a commitment for positive impact.

Access to capital remains one of the top challenges for small businesses in the South Sound. We are proud to have played a key role in reducing barriers to access, enabling the deployment of over $983,000 in no interest loans to help small businesses find their feet and thrive.

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Connectivity is our Currency

We are uniquely trusted to bring together the right network of thought leaders and subject-matter experts across business, government, and nonprofits to shape and build stronger connections. We welcomed 4,936 attendees to our events and meetings this last year and look forward to welcoming more in 2025.

Innovation Fuels our Work

We are a Chamber supercharged by action. Through working with businesses and community leaders, we are able to test new ideas and apply practical solutions. The Community First! Housing Village was first explored during our Aspire Intercity Leadership event in Austin, Texas. Locally, the Good Neighbor Village is now breaking ground and aims to welcome 257 new residents by 2030 so that they can overcome the challenges of life without housing.

Powered by Partners

Our culture is rooted in powerful partnerships that are propelled by our core values. We continue to grow our membership and organization by developing meaningful and long-standing relationships with key decision makers, influencers, and advocates.

Together, we are truly making the South Sound the most equitable, inclusive, and thriving place to do business in Washington State. Thank you for being part of this amazing community and recognizing the importance of our work. Your time, talent, and treasure invested here is deeply appreciated and valued. I hope I’m able to show you my gratitude every day.

Andrea H. Reay President & CEO, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber

2023 - 2024 Board of Directors

April Sage Senior Housing Advising Services

Jon Rossman Chuckals Office Products Chair & Southside Branch Chair

Shannon Hassan Valeo Vocation

Eric Johnson Port of Tacoma

Bruce Kendall EDB for Tacoma-Pierce County

Michael Pamintuan InfoBlox

Bethany Doane JayRay Treasurer

Chyna Willman Grit City Wellness

Andrea H. Reay Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber Ex-Officio

Valarie Zeeck Gordon Thomas Honeywell Ex-Officio

AJ Gordon Northwest Bank Past Chair Ex-Officio

Kierra Phifer DoorDash Chair Elect

Eli Taylor KeyBank Past Chair

Jameson Harris Comcast

Sylvia James University of Washington Tacoma

Burhan Saleh Al’s Hot Chicken

Jennifer Schomburg Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

Grant Twyman NEXT Consulting

Ryan Wheaton Pierce Transit

Gary Yamamoto Lemay - America’s Car Museum

Tony Belot Schnitzer Steel Industries

Richard White The Boeing Company

Christopher Waldron Spectrum Pension Consultants Secretary

Bill Peters TAPCO Credit Union West Side Branch Chair

Danny Hankins Washington Films

Dr. Bernal Baca Mi Centro

Eddie Bratko MultiCare Health Systems

Tanya Durand Greentrike

Jackie Flowers Tacoma Public Utilities

Patricia Gossler Verizon

Tamar Jackson Workforce Central

Bridgette Johnson BIMA Services

Dr. Joyce Loveday Clover Park Technical College

Renee McClain Washington State Fair

Christine Nhan Puget Sound Energy

Jerod Pierce Olympic Holdings

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Advocating for Business

Convening Leaders for Action

The Chamber regularly brings business, industry, and policy leaders together to develop and advocate for the issues most important to our South Sound community.

The Manufacturing Industrial Council program gives a voice for the manufacturing, industrial, and maritime community.

Our leadership in the Regional Access Mobility Partnership ensures a healthy regional economy associated with the development of an effective, efficient transportation system and the resources sustainable for maintenance.

The Chamber’s annual Washington-to-Washington, D.C. Conference brought a delegation of 50 leaders from business, industry, nonprofit, and government organizations to our nation’s capital to discuss and advocate for pressing issues facing the South Sound.

Our 2023 - 2024 Legislative Priorities

• Protect the Puget Sound Gateway, Connecting Washington, and Move Ahead Washington transportation packages to help meet our transportation and economic development needs.

• Support legislation focused on growing our manufacturing sector through workforce development and business growth.

• Support policies that encourage innovation, entrepreneurship, and foster a thriving business environment.

• Support regulatory and tax code updates to encourage housing construction of all types.

• Improve public safety for our community’s businesses and their employees.

Engaging with our Business Community

The Chamber hosted a series of in-person and hybrid events to build relationships, celebrate our members, and forge successful paths forward.

Recurring Events

• Chamber After Hours

• West Side Wakeup

• Military Affairs Forum

• South Sound Business Roundtable

• Regional Access Mobility Project (RAMP

• Manufacturing Industrial Council (MIC)

Signature Events

• Horizons Economic Forecast

• Washington-to-Washington, D.C. Conference

• Happy Hour Business Expo

• Aspire Intercity Leadership Conference

• Pierce County Business Accelerator (PCBA) Showcase

• Public Officials Holiday Reception

Investing in our Future Leaders

We invested in programs that provide development opportunities and resources to diverse communities of business leaders in the South Sound.

Fostering Leaders in our Community

The Chamber proudly served as the program administrator for the Pierce County Business Accelerator, a Pierce County program that exists to serve entrepreneurs and business owners throughout the county with a focus on BIPOC, veteran, and womenowned businesses. It aims to help foster innovation and create wealth-building opportunities for these distinct groups. We partnered with Pacific Lutheran University to lead the 45th annual Business Leadership Academy, an ongoing program for current and emerging leaders to engage with the business community while developing leadership skills, linking with a mentor, and interacting with exemplary leaders.

Taking Leadership to New Latitudes

Our Aspire Intercity Leadership event brought a group of regional leaders to Austin, Texas, to interact and learn about programs to meet the growing needs of the South Sound.

Attendees were introduced to the Community First! Housing Village which in turn inspired the Good Neighbor Village in Pierce County. This development will provide permanent housing and care to 257 of Pierce County’s chronically homeless neighbors. Restoring dignity, purpose, and stability within a safe, supportive, and healing community.

Thriving Programs and Partners

Spaceworks Tacoma

As a program of the Chamber and the City of Tacoma, Spaceworks Tacoma is designed to drive community transformation and foster small business development in new and emerging ways.

The Spaceworks Incubator program continues to deliver personalized coaching and training to creative entrepreneurs. The regular celebration of alumni marking their 10-year anniversaries is a powerful testament to the enduring quality of support provided to our participants.

Artscapes program has also played a pivotal role in enriching Tacoma’s cultural landscape, with 17 rotating installations displayed in downtown storefronts such as the Woolworth, Pantages, and Rialto windows. It also contributed two permanent murals and nine temporary and rapid murals, adding vibrancy of our community.

In partnership with the City of Tacoma, Spaceworks facilitated a Public Art Training program on the east side, offering paid opportunities for the program’s 10 participants to create temporary and permanent public artworks. In 2024, the program invested $41,860 in local artists, ,directly supporting their contributions to Tacoma’s creative economy.

Manufacturing Industrial Council for the South Sound

Manufacturing Industrial Council (MIC) for the South Sound is the voice for manufacturing, industrial, and maritime businesses. The initiatives below align with the MIC’s mission to promote a positive business climate, safeguard lives, support environmental sustainability, and anchor Washington’s economy through job creation.

The MIC has been heavily engaged in the Tacoma Tideflats Subarea Plan. The MIC, along with the Port of Tacoma, City of Tacoma, City of Fife, Puyallup Tribe of Indians, and Pierce County, developed new manufacturing and port-centered zoning for the Tacoma Tideflats. The new zoning minimizes incompatible use conflicts, while supporting brownfield and habitat restoration. At the center of the plan is support for sustaining, modernizing, and growing existing businesses while creating pathways for state and federal investment in critical infrastructure. The Subarea Plan is moving toward adoption in 2025.

Additionally, MIC partnered with local businesses to establish a Tacoma Manufacturing Incubator and secure funding from the Department of Commerce and the City of Tacoma to support critical development. The goal is to run the first pilot cohort in 2025.

The inaugural Environmental Excellence Business Awards launched in May 2024, which recognized local Pierce County businesses that demonstrated extraordinary commitments to environmental excellence and sustainability in our region. Organized by the Chamber, Communities for a Healthy Bay, and Port of Tacoma, two awards were presented: Aquagga received the Environmental Excellence Business Innovation Award and Radius Recycling received the Environmental Excellence Business Award.

World Trade Center Tacoma

World Trade Center Tacoma (WTCTA) positions the Pacific Northwest as a premier location for international business. As part of a global network of over 300 World Trade Centers, WTCTA takes pride in helping local companies succeed in the global market.

One of the region’s most dynamic trade promotion organizations, WTCTA has, in the past year, hosted more than eight educational and training programs while connecting local businesses with international partners through three trade and investment missions to East Asia.

Providing Resources for Small Businesses

Pierce County Business Accelerator (PCBA)

Launched in 2021, the Pierce County Business Accelerator serves over 450 entrepreneurs and business owners throughout Pierce County to help foster innovation and create wealth-building opportunities. With a focus on BIPOC, veteran, and women-owned businesses, the PCBA program provides direct access to business resources such as relevant training, coaching, technical assistance, and networking support PCBA is a program of Pierce County Economic Development, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), administered by the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber.

To help underserved entrepreneurs and small business owners gain access to much-needed capital, the Chamber partnered with Kiva to offer 0% interest microloans to small business owners in Pierce County. These crowdfunded loans fill a critical lending gap for businesses that are emerging, small, or unconventional to receive loans from traditional lenders. Today, over $983,000 in microloans have been distributed to local small businesses.

Spaceworks Creative Entrepreneur Support

In partnership with Shaub Properties, Spaceworks transformed the second floor of the Mecca Building in Downtown Tacoma into a vibrant hub for local creatives and small businesses. This space provides affordable spaces for six businesses, addressing a growing need for accessible workspaces in our community. Additionally, Spaceworks continues to offer vital resources through training programs and monthly workshops that equips artists and entrepreneurs with needed skills and knowledge to succeed in a competitive marketplace.

Our Impact