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magazine

PUBLISHER Thurston County Chamber of Commerce

EDITORIAL David Schaffert 360-357-3362 dschaffert@thurstonchamber.com

CONTRIBUTORS David Schaffert Natasha Ashenhurst Alison Bailey Doria Maselli Heather Harris, Elements Photography

ADVERTISING Sales & Marketing: Krystal Barkus Elizabeth Bretschneider Blake Knoblauch

SUBSCRIPTIONS 360-357-3362 info@thurstonchamber.com

DESIGN Ben Hawkes Mosaic Marketing Studio

COVER ART Photo by Heather Harris, Elements Photography

PRINTING Print NW

CONTACT THE CHAMBER 809 Legion Way SE Olympia, WA 98507 360-357-3362 info@thurstonchamber.com thurstonchamber.com

COPYRIGHT All material appearing in the VOICE Magazine is copyright unless otherwise stated or it may rest with the provider of the supplied material. The VOICE Magazine takes all care to ensure information is correct at time of printing, but the publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for the accuracy of any information contained in the text or advertisements.

This Is Not What We Planned to Publish...

by David Schaffert, President/CEO, Thurston Chamber

But then COVID-19 happened. Now, the entire world is holding its breath while governments try and figure out how to contain the virus and keep people safe. Meanwhile, the measures to keep people safe are having dire consequences for businesses and the economy.

We are still in the midst of the crisis and it's too early to create new strategies for recovery, but we can offer support. This issue is devoted to outlining support and resources for you to tap into.

On page 12 we share how the Thurston Chamber, Experience Olympia & Beyond and the Thurston EDC are partnering to share resources and create coordinated systems to triage and support businesses in crisis.

On page 7 we share tips and tricks for successfully working from home from those who've had a virtual office for years.

On page 16 you'll find a resource guide for businesses trying to navigate options for disaster assistance, workforce issues and more.

There are three things we hope you'll take away from this edition of the VOICE: You are not alone. We are all in this together, and we want to hear from you. Please reach out and share your story with us. We're all putting people first right now. Whether that is our family, our employees or our community, we're making tough choices to keep people healthy and safe which often means that business is hurt. Finally, we'd like to give our heartfelt thanks to our community's health care workers and first responders. We are safe because you are on the front lines fighting for the health and well being of us all. Thank you!

THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY INVESTORS

PLATINUM INVESTORS America's Credit Union - Lacey FORMA Construction Company Little Creek Casino & Resort Lucky Eagle Casino and Hotel Olympia Orthopaedic Associates, PLLC Port of Olympia TwinStar Credit Union - Corporate Office Washington Business Bank Wells Fargo Community Bank DIAMOND INVESTORS Capital Medical Center The Evergreen State College Greene Realty Group Heritage Bank - Olympia L & E Bottling Company, Inc. Morningside Olympia Federal Savings Olympia Nissan - Commercial Vehicle Phillips Burgess, PLLC Providence St. Peter Hospital Puget Sound Energy Saint Martin's University SCJ Alliance South Puget Sound Community College The Rants Group GOLD INVESTORS American Workforce Group Caliber Home Loans Charter College Commerce Home Mortgage - LoanStar Division Community Youth Services The Creative Office The Firs Senior Living Community GHB Insurance, Inc. Grays Harbor Fair & Tourism Great Wolf Lodge Hometown Property Management, Inc. Hooper Financial Services Mills & Mills Funeral Home Nisqually Red Wind Casino Olympia Furniture Company Pardiman Productions Radia Inc., PS Timberland Bank Venables Pest Management