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Our
Sponsors
Quick Links...
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· This
Week
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Member
Orientation
Wednesday, January 31
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Chamber Office
14220 Interurban Ave S, #134, Tukwila
Register
Now...
Professional
Development: Marketing Strategies
Thursday, February 1
8:00 am - 10:00 am
Chamber Office
14220 Interurban Ave S, #134, Tukwila
Cost is $20.
Register
Now...
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· Next
Week
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Tukwila
Government and Community Affairs
Tuesday, February 6
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Chamber Office
14220 Interurban Ave S, #134, Tukwila
Register
Now...
SeaTac
Business Committee
Thursday, February 8
8:30 am - 10:00 am
Federal Detention Center
2425 S 200th Street, SeaTac
Register
Now...
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From the Chairman
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 Greetings,
members! I am looking forward to serving as your Chairman in
2007. We have a busy year ahead of us both in our own
businesses and in making sure the Chamber supports you and
our community in the best way it can.
Since you’ve become a Chamber member, I know you have been
reminded many times that you will get out of the Chamber
what you put into it. But never forget, when you look at the
big picture, you will see that you are an “owner” of the
community. The value of your home, other property and
business are all dependant on the success of our community.
It is up to you to make sure our area stays abundant with
economic vitality, retail, tourism, office, airport-related,
and manufacturing uses. With continued business success and
development, our residential, educational and cultural
opportunities will grow. As an owner, you must decide how
you want to see your community in 5, 10 or 20 years.
Your financial future is dependent upon your community. Each
of us is part of creating a tomorrow for our children and
families to thrive. Business success is vital to having a
community that can provide for our needs and safety.
Bringing successful business and commerce allows us to
strengthen not only the business environment, but also the
neighborhoods and educational opportunities. The stronger
our community, the more successful each of us will be in our
own personal lives.
Volunteerism is as important to your business as marketing
and customer service. By volunteering your expertise to your
community, through your Chamber, non-profit organizations or
religious affiliation, you will make a difference. If every
one in the community were to contribute a little, all the
problems of the community would disappear. As we look toward
our future, how can we not find the time to help. You have
expertise that is badly needed by your community, and
ultimately you will be the benefactor.
Make sure your community continues to prosper, roll up your
sleeves and participate in an area that interests you.
Our future depends on you!
Chuck Cox
Chairman
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Mark Benedum, Chief Executive Officer of
Highline Medical Center to speak at February
Luncheon
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 Mark
Benedum, Chief Executive Officer of Highline Medical Center,
will be the Chamber’s guest speaker at the February 9th
Membership Luncheon to be held at Glen Acres Golf and
Country Club, 1000 S. 112th St. in Seattle.
Mark Benedum became Chief Executive Officer of Highline
Medical Center in January 2007. He first joined Highline in
1984 as an Associate Administrator. In 1989, when Riverton
Hospital, now called Highline Specialty Campus, was
purchased, he became its administrator and was instrumental
in establishing this campus as a specialty behavioral health
and rehab services facility within Highline Medical Center.
In 2000, he assumed the position of Chief Operating Officer
and became responsible for patient care at both the Main and
Specialty Campuses.
Prior to joining Highline, Mr. Benedum served as an
administrative resident at Providence Hospital in Everett
and later held the position of Assistant Administrator at
Douglas Community Hospital in Roseburg, Oregon. He received
his Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and
his master’s degree in health administration from the
University of Washington in 1978. He is a fellow of the
American College of Healthcare Executives.
Mark and his wife, Lynel Westby, have three children and
have been residents of Normandy Park since 1985.
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Ruth Dykeman Children's Center to Sponsor February
Membership Luncheon
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 Healthy
people and functional families mean a healthy economy and a
thriving community. The kind of community we want our
children to go to school and succeed in. Ruth Dykeman
Children’s Center (RDCC) believes every person deserves a
chance to succeed in life.
When you support RDCC, you are investing in these changes:
- Give
youth the chance to cope with trauma.
- Restore
families by reducing the use of violence.
- Care
and hope for children who are abused and neglected.
RDCC strengthens family
connections by offering mental health counseling, crisis
intervention and problem resolution where people need it the
most, in the home, in schools and at our Youth and Family
Services Center. We assist families to stay together, learn
new communication and behaviors that help to maintain
healthy relationships and avert youth from juvenile
detention and worse. Drug and alcohol prevention and
treatment programs help youth and adults deal with
addictions and find support for their problems.
RDCC is also a safety net for children and adolescents who
can no longer stay in the home, due safety concerns for
themselves or others. Youth who live at RDCC are 6-17 years
old, and share severe emotional and behavioral issues and
histories of abuse and neglect. About 40 youth live in 4
separate homes on the eight and a half acre campus on Lake
Burien. Caring professional staff work round the clock,
providing needed therapy, family-style meals, oversee
activities and family visits, and provide day-to-day support
to help them learn how to cope with trauma and find new ways
to make better life choices.
Over 1,600 children and families were served in 2006 through
RDCC services and programs. RDCC has an annual budget of 10
million dollars and employs 135 staff. It is accredited by
the Council on Accreditation (COA) which promotes
best-practice standards and ensures an accredited agency
utilizes the most up to date practices based on research
findings, child welfare regulations, and practice
experience. RDCC has been fully accredited since 1989. RDCC
has made a commitment to organizational Cultural Competency,
as it relates to institutional racism. RDCC reviews
policies, procedures and protocols that may be barriers to
access to services, hiring, training and retaining staff, as
well as program evaluation.
RDCC started as an idea that someone should do something
about the plight of young girls, who were not delinquents
but thrown away by their own parents – and had no family
support. That was in 1920. Today, Ruth’s School is 86
years old and its mission continues - Success and
Self-Sufficiency for Children, Family and Community.
Together, with your help, we will continue to build
successful communities in which children thrive and families
succeed.
For more information or to arrange a tour of the Burien
campus, contact kidnet@rdcc.org or call (206) 242-1609 x
142. Visit our website and learn how you can help: www.rdcc.org
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$60M Airport Light-Rail Station Bidding
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Sound Transit has begun seeking construction bids for
the Central Link Light-Rail Airport Station project,
estimated to cost $40 million to $60 million to build. Bids
were advertised in the DJC on December 28th and are due
February 15th.
In addition to the transit station, the project includes
pedestrian bridges connecting the station to the parking
garage at Sea-Tac Airport and to International Boulevard
Plaza. It also involves track work.
Both bridges will feed into the mezzanine level of the
transit station. Light-rail trains will stop on the upper
level and passengers will access the bridges on the lower
level. No public access will be allowed at the ground level.
The Port of Seattle plans to install flight information
displays in the station and is funding the bridge to the
airport.
The finishing touch at the station will be installations
from artists Mikyoung Kim, Werner Klotz, Christian Moeller
and Fernanda D'Agostino.
International Boulevard Plaza will have a landscaped
drop-off area accessed by South 176th Street South.
Travelers leaving the plaza can walk the 200-foot bridge
over International Boulevard to the transit station. From
there, they can jump on a light-rail train or walk the
second bridge to the airport parking garage.
The city of SeaTac is talking with developers about a
project that would tie into part of the plaza.
Sound Transit has a small business goal of 20 percent of the
station's total bid price. Although it's not required, the
agency says all bidders must make good-faith efforts to
fulfill the goal. There is also an apprenticeship goal of 20
percent of all labor hours, also not a requirement but a
good-faith effort.
The project could be financed by a combination of federal
and state funds. The Federal Transit Administration could
provide as much as 80 percent of the funding, or nothing at
all.
Hewitt Architects designed the station and Hatch Mott
MacDonald is the engineer. Huitt-Zollars is the engineer for
the port's bridge to the garage.
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SUCCESS Foundation Student Scholarship Fundraising
Raffle
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The
SUCCESS Foundation kicked off its annual student scholarship
fundraising efforts at the December 8th Membership Luncheon.
Every year, the SUCCESS Foundation honors one or more high
school students with a scholarship to be used toward
continued education. The number of $1,000 scholarships
varies from year to year. Eligible students are those that
have been selected as Business Students of the Month
throughout the current school year. The winner(s) will be
recognized at the Chamber’s Education Luncheon on June 8,
2007.
The SUCCESS Foundation plans three separate raffles for this
school year. The raffles are for a trip to Mexico, two
unrestricted airline tickets, and a trip to Roche Harbor.
The first raffle is for two unrestricted airline tickets
from Alaska Airlines to any destination within the
Alaska/Horizon Air service area. One ticket requires a
$10.00 donation. There are only 250 raffle tickets, so the
odds of winning are 1 in 250! The winner need not be present
at the drawing on March 9, 2007 to win.
Help support the SUCCESS Foundation’s student scholarship
fundraising by purchasing raffle tickets at the Chamber
office or at Chamber membership luncheons and networking
breakfasts. The Chamber thanks Alaska Airlines for the
tickets.
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Legislative Day in Olympia
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On
Wednesday February 7th, the Association of Washington
Businesses will be holding its annual Legislative Reception
& Briefing.
Learn about important issues that affect your business and
help carry the message to our elected officials. They need
to know how your business is impacted by their actions in
key areas such as workers’ comp., education,
competitiveness, health care and more. You can help
influence decision-making by encouraging your legislators to
create an economic climate that provides greater opportunity
for our state and its citizens.
This event is one of the best places to network with other
AWB members, elected officials and agency directors
face-to-face.
- Find
out what issues will affect your business in the year
2007 and beyond.
- Network
with AWB members.
- Be
a sponsor and help us send the business message to the
Legislature.
- All
Legislators will be advised of your sponsorship and
sponsorship level. Your company will also be recognized
at the event and in AWB’s magazine, Washington
Business.
If you are interested in going as
part of a Chamber delegation, please contact Nancy Damon at
ndamon@swkcc.org or call 206.575.1633.
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First Students to Pursue BAS Hospitality Degree in
Fall 2007
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South Seattle Community College has taken the next
step in its plan to offer its own four-year degree – a
Bachelor’s of Applied Science in Hospitality Management.
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the
college’s regional accrediting body, has granted the
college informal candidacy to offer the four-year
hospitality management degree. This means the first class of
students may begin the program in Fall 2007.
The commission’s decision follow this summer’s approval
from the State Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the
earlier positive vote from the State Board for Community and
Technical Colleges. South Seattle Community College is one
of four two-year colleges in the state selected to offer a
four-year degree, which was authorized and funded by the
state legislature.
“South’s goal of offering a four-year degree that meets
the needs of students, aspiring professionals, and industry
is now a reality,” said Dr. Jill Wakefield, college
president.
The Hospitality Management degree will also create an upward
career path for graduates with two-year degrees, both from
South Seattle and other community colleges. Students who
might enter the program from South Seattle include graduates
of its Culinary Arts and Business Information Technology
programs.
Those interested in entering the program should contact
Rosie Rimando, Director of Student Outreach, Admissions
& Recruitment, at (206) 768-6691 or rrimando@sccd.ctc.edu.
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January Business Student of the Month: Jacob Lee
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 Jacob
Lee is a dedicated senior at Global Connections High School.
While studying there, he has taken the following business
courses: Introduction to Marketing, Retail Marketing, and
Advanced Marketing. His academic achievements include
receiving Academic Letters for each high school year and
being Student of the Year for 2005-2006. He was also voted
“Most Improved” for the 2003-2004 school year.
His extra curricular activities include being the Varsity
Soccer Captain for 2005-2007 and active involvement in DECA.
He was nominated DECA Member of the Year for Washington in
2005-2006. He is also a DECA Business Partnerships Associate
this school year.
In the future, Jacob aspires to go into Sports Medicine. His
collegiate plan is to take his pre-med requirements at PLU
and then enter the UW Medical Program. We wish you every
success in obtaining your goals and ambitions!
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Member Get A Member Recognition
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A great big “Thank you” to the following Chamber
members for referring a new member to the Chamber:
Brittany Melnik and Yuri Anderson of Washington Mutual, for
referring Accounting Precision, who has now become a Chamber
Member.
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Spotlight on A Chamber Member - Landmark on the
Sound
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Landmark
on the Sound Opens as Red Cross Shelter
Landmark On The Sound, which is home to The
"Castle" (formerly known as the Masonic Retirement
Center), in Des Moines at 23660 Marine View Drive South
reopened its doors on December 15th as an emergency shelter
and on the 16th as a Red Cross Shelter, due to the vast and
lengthy power outages in the area. The property, which is
owned by the Grand Lodge of Washington, is being developed
by Landmark On The Sound, a non-profit community for people
62 and better. A staple in the community, the 1926 Building
has withstood winter storms, earthquakes and age, still
housing the same red tile roof originally installed in the
1920s. Over 175 people stayed at the shelter from South
Sound communities including Des Moines and Federal Way.
“It is our mission to help people, it’s what the
fraternity is all about, and we certainly are glad we were
in a position to help,” commented Jane Ipsen, CEO of
Landmark On The Sound.
About Landmark On The Sound
Landmark On The Sound will be a new non-profit community for
people 62 and better. Located on 27 acres overlooking Puget
Sound and the Olympic Mountains, the community will consist
of a renovation of the 1926 Building, an expansion of
apartment homes and a neighborhood of woodland homes. Set
amongst mature trees, wildlife and walking trails, Landmark
On The Sound will have a small town feel, with all of the
conveniences of a major city nearby. Landmark will also have
personal health services for residents, should they ever
require them. Landmark On The Sound is sponsored by the
Washington State Freemasons, the oldest fraternity in the
world. Affiliated groups include organizations for women,
couples, and youth. Freemasons provide more than $2 million
a day to charitable activities such as hospitals, youth
scholarships, and those less fortunate.
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City Beats - Burien
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 Town
Square
- Developer Urban Partners announced in December that
demolition of buildings where Burien Town Square will be
constructed will begin in January. The initial seven-level
building will contain 122 residential units, including a mix
of live/work units, two-bedroom town homes and 106
condominiums of various sizes. When completed in 2009, Town
Square will have more than 400 town homes and condominiums,
retail shops, restaurants, a new City Hall/Library and a
one-acre public plaza and park that will become the
community’s main gathering space. On December 6, the City
Council approved the issuance of $10 million in general
obligation bonds to finance the City’s portion of the
development, which includes a new City Hall, public plaza
and park, and infrastructure. Revenue from the bonds also
will be used to convert the current King County Library in
Burien into the City’s new Senior and Activity Center. The
library will move to the new City Hall/Library building in
Town Square in 2008.
City Manager – Burien’s new City Manager Michael
Martin began work in Burien on Wednesday, November 29.
Martin previously was Chief Administrative Officer for the
City of Kent for five years and prior to that worked for
seven years in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office, first as
a Senior Policy Analyst and later as the budget manager.
David Cline, who served as interim City Manager since
January 2006, returned to his former position as Assistant
City Manager.
City Hall Moves – On December 8th, Burien City
Hall’s location was moved to a temporary site one-half
mile south of the existing City Hall, which had to be
vacated to allow construction work to begin on Burien Town
Square. The City’s new headquarters is in an office
building at 15811 Ambaum Blvd SW, just south of Hiline Lanes
and Azteca Restaurant. City staff is looking forward to its
next move - to the new Town Square City Hall in 2008 or
2009.
Windstorm Damage – The City offered residents free
damage inspections from the December 14th windstorm that hit
the region. City building inspectors helped homeowners
determine whether permits were needed for windstorm damage
repairs. Hundreds of households and businesses in the Burien
area lost power for days as a result of the storm.
City Council Retreat - Burien City Council and staff
members held a two-day retreat January 5th and 6th at the
Dumas Bay Centre in Federal Way to develop their 2007 Work
Program.
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City Beats - SeaTac
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 Economic
Development - The City of SeaTac is eager to welcome the arrival of
Sound Transit’s “Link” light rail, connecting downtown
Seattle to the two stations planned to serve our community.
The City plans to invest in major infrastructure
improvements in both station areas. In anticipation of the
2009 commencement of service, the City is making every
effort to encourage future transit-oriented development in
the areas adjacent to these stations. The vision for both
station areas was defined through the station area planning
effort recently concluded in SeaTac.
The SeaTac/Airport Station will be located at the northwest
corner of International Boulevard and 176th Street.
Connected by a pedestrian bridge across International
Boulevard, the redevelopment area adjacent to the station
includes 82 acres of land. The vision for this area is to
create an exciting City Center environment with new high
quality developments that are pedestrian-friendly and
include a mix of commercial, residential and civic uses that
support and encourage high capacity transit. In order to
spur this activity on International Boulevard, the SeaTac
City Council has made $18.3 million in incentives available
to support mixed-use development. In fact, the City is
currently considering two mixed-use development proposals
within this station area.
The Tukwila International Boulevard Station will be located
just northeast of the SR-518 and International Boulevard
interchange. The subject redevelopment area, anchored across
the street on the northwest corner of International
Boulevard and South 154th Street, includes 42 acres of land.
The South 154th Street Station Area seeks to create a
vibrant, mixed use residential neighborhood that connects
people of various backgrounds. The station area will be
pedestrian-oriented, visually pleasing, easily accessible,
and integrated with high capacity transit. Key sites with
great development potential are currently for sale within
this station area.
Excitement in the region about development opportunities in
SeaTac is growing, witnessed by the recent article in the
Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce about transit oriented
development in SeaTac. For more information about these
opportunities, contact the City of SeaTac’s Economic
Development Manager, Todd Cutts, at 206.973.4816.
SeaTac Awarded Green Building Technical Assistance
Funding - The City of SeaTac was awarded $2,499 in
technical assistance funding to allow the City to implement
green building practices. This funding is provided as a
service of King County Solid Waste to hire a consultant to
conduct an eco-charette to gain LEED (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design) certification for SeaTac's new
Fire Station. O'Brien & Company facilitated the eco-charette
Monday, December 11th, and a report describing the project
and its outcome will be available upon completion.
Adopt-A-Family Program - Adopt-A-Family worked in
partnership with Boeing, other businesses and community
members, and SeaTac City Councilmembers and employees to
make the Adopt-A-Family program a huge success again this
past holiday season. The program had 63 families adopted in
total, equaling 287 people (177 children and 110
adults/seniors).
· Boeing: 38 families = 139 people = 82 children and 57
adults/seniors
· Businesses and Community Members: 14 families = 67 people
= 44 children and 23 adults/seniors
· SeaTac City Employees: 11 families = 81 people = 51
children and 30 adults/seniors
City partners and City employees helped by allocating money,
food, and gift contributions, payroll deductions, and doing
various duties including screening, shopping, organizing,
distributing, wrapping, and delivering to make this an
amazing effort by all involved.
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City Beats - Tukwila
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 Tukwila
Grocery Store Opens - Tukwila Trading Company, the grocery store that took over
the former Larry's Market at the intersection of Tukwila
International Boulevard and South 144th Street in Tukwila,
is holding its grand opening on January 31. The store has
undergone numerous interior renovations and expansion of the
produce section and is focused more on the value and price
conscious consumer. The City of Tukwila is very pleased that
this market stayed open after Larry's bankruptcy because of
its critical role in the revitalization of the Tukwila
International Boulevard neighborhood.
Southcenter Access/Klickitat Project Awarded $5 Million
Grant - The City of Tukwila has been awarded another
large grant: this one from the Washington State
Transportation Improvement Board. The Southcenter Urban
Access Improvement Project was awarded a $5,000,000 grant
through TIB's Urban Corridor Program. The Southcenter Access
Improvement project will improve traffic mobility and safety
with significant improvements to Southcenter Parkway between
the Doubletree Hotel and the Westfield Southcenter Mall
entrance north of Nordstrom. A major element of the project
is the grade separation of Klickitat Drive and the
southbound lanes of Southcenter Parkway. To see a map,
review the construction schedule or sign up for the
notification list, visit www.southcenteraccess.com
Business.gov Website - If you need assistance
understanding and complying with Federal regulations, you
should check out www.business.gov.
It is a website managed by the U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA) in partnership with 21 other federal
agencies. Although originally launched in 2004, the website
was significantly renovated in October 2006 and now focuses
on helping businesses comply with Federal regulations. The
site is now intended to be a one-stop source for compliance
assistance for all Federal regulatory agencies. The City of
Tukwila is interested in your opinion on the effectiveness
of this resource. If you have an opinion, please contact
Derek Speck, Economic Development Administrator at dspeck@ci.tukwila.wa.us
or 206-433-1832.
Associated Grocers’ Property for Sale - In
December, Associated Grocers announced it is selling its 55
acre headquarters and distribution facility which is located
at the south end of Boeing Field near the Boeing Access Road
interchange of I-5. The property straddles both the cities
of Tukwila and Seattle and is believed to be one of the
largest contiguous commercial land parcels for sale in the
Seattle area in decades.
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New Members
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Accounting Precision
Rich Rombal
23707 13th Pl S #1202
Des Moines, WA 98198
(206) 878-8192
Fax: (206) 434-5505
www.accountingprecision.com
Book Keeping
Hometown Lending - Paul McFadden
Paul McFadden
1201 Monster Rd. SW #450
Renton, WA 98057
(425) 282-0553
Fax: (425) 282-0575
www.HometownLending.us
Mortgage Loans & Bankers
The RMC Group
Robert Campbell
15610 9th Ave SW, Ste #1
Burien, WA 98166
(206) 883-6275
www.thermcgroup.net
Consultants
West Coast Bank
Sally Brady
400 Industry Dr. Ste 110
Tukwila, WA 98188
(425) 251-6530
Fax: (425) 251-6529
www.wcb.com
Banks & Financial Institutions
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Renewing Members
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1-5 Years
CorkyCellars
John L. Scott Real Estate – Jill Judy
Key Bank – Des Moines
King County Work Training Program
Quick Stop/Thrifty Car Rental
Seoil Agency Co. USA, Inc.
6-10 Years
Children’s Therapy Center
Seattle Express
Vince’s Italian Restaurant
11-15 Years
Fernwood at the Park
King County Fire District #2
Riverton Crest Cemetary
Sterling Savings Bank
16-20 Years
Courtyard by Marriott
Fatigue Technology, Inc.
Thrifty Car Rental
21-25 Years
Global Advantage, LLC DBA Seko
NC Machinery Co.
26-30 Years
De/Mar Co.
Highline West Seattle Mental Health Center
Hilton Inn – Seattle Airport
Ireland Insurance
Seattle Marriott Hotel - SeaTac
40-45 Years
Hawthorne & Company
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