Your regional voice and resource for building business success
Monthly News May 28, 2007
· From the Chairman
Greetings Members!
The first quarter has just ended and tax season is over - for now, at
least! Things haven't slowed down at the Chamber however. Keep your eyes
open for some exciting new additions. The inaugural Dining Guide is
being printed this week and will begin distribution on May 1. The guide,
listing participating area restaurants in Burien, SeaTac, Tukwila, and
Des Moines, will be available at the Chamber office, Seattle Southside
Visitor Center, city halls, and selected libraries. If you would like
guides for your customers and employees, please call the Chamber office
(206.575.1633) and a supply will be sent to you. The Chamber plans to
introduce other guides and is interested to know what type of
information would be of interest to you and your employees.
Now
is your chance to take the opportunity to showcase your business.
Nominate your business for one of the A•C•E awards. Award categories
are Beautification, Non-Profit/Humanitarian Service, Small Employer
Business Excellence, Large Employer Business Excellence.
Click here
for a nomination form. Nominations are being accepted until June 15.
I am also pleased to announce the Chamber will be offering a medical
insurance benefits package for Chamber members and their employees. The
Board of Directors will select the program(s) at its Board Meeting the
end of May. This will be a good opportunity for Chamber businesses to
consider medical plan options. Watch for more information in the coming
weeks.
I welcome two new members to the Chamber staff. Dianna Gearhiser,
Marketing Coordinator, and Teresa Simmons, Administrative Coordinator.
Both women bring excellent skills and outstanding experience to the
Chamber. Please refer to the introduction article on Dianna and Teresa
in this newsletter.
Have a great month!
Chuck Cox
Chairman
· Next Week
Tukwila Government and Community Affairs
Tuesday, June 5
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Chamber Office
14220 Interurban Ave S, #134, Tukwila
Register Now
June Membership Luncheon
Friday, June 8
11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Puget Sound Skills Center
(formerly SeaTac Occupational Skills Center)
10810 8th Ave. S., Burien
Cost is $25.00 at the door, or save $5.00 if you pre-pay by 5:00 pm,
June 7th.
Register Now
Chamber Calendar
· Dr. Terry Bergeson to Speak at June's Membership Luncheon
Dr.
Terry Bergeson, the state of Washington's Superintendent of Public
Instruction, will update our members on the WASL and other educational
issues at the June Membership Luncheon.
The luncheon is at the Puget Sound Skills Center (formerly the SeaTac
Occupational Skills Center), located at 18010 8th Ave. S., Burien. The
cost is $20 pre-paid or $25 at the door. To register, contact the
Chamber at 206.575.1633 or register online at swkcc.org and click on the
Chamber Calendar for reservations.
· Join Us for the Local Chamber Reception
Tuesday, June 12
5:00 - 7:30 pm
Port of Seattle Headquarters
2711 Alaskan Way, Pier 69
Join
the Port of Seattle and members from other local Chambers of Commerce
for an evening of fun, hospitality and networking. The Port is a big
supporter of the small business community and an active member of
several local Chambers including Ballard, Magnolia, Queen Anne,
Southwest King County and West Seattle. This semi-annual event is a
great chance to meet the Port's new CEO Tay Yoshitani, speak with Port
Commissioners and meet other business owners from around King County.
The reception will feature appetizers, hosted beer and wine, door
prizes, art and architecture tours of the Port's Headquarters and
validated parking.
If you'd like to attend, please RSVP to the Chamber at 206.575.1633.
Click here
for your invitation!
· Nominations for an A·C·E Award Being Accepted - Deadline Extended!
The
2007 A·C·E awards nomination deadline has been extended! Nominations are
now due June 15th!
Click here
for the nomination form.
The awards will be presented at the Chamber's November A·C·E Awards
celebration on November 8, 2007, beginning at 4:00 pm at the Embassy
Suites, located at 15920 West Valley Highway in Tukwila.
Don't miss the opportunity to be a sponsor of this annual celebration of
business excellence.
Click here
to select the sponsorship option just right for your company.
· Introducing the 2007-2008 Dining Guide
The
Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce proudly presents is Dining
Guide, a listing of popular dining locations in Burien, Des Moines,
SeaTac, and Tukwila. This guide is available to residents, workers, and
visitors to our area.
The restaurants listed in the guide cover a wide range of dining
opportunities, from fast food to fine dining. Also listed are price
points and cuisine categories.
20,000 guides are being distributed and the Chamber encourages every
Chamber member to display the guides at your place of business.
The guides are available at the Chamber office and at Chamber events.
· 2007 Get-Away Golf Tournament and Silent Auction
Don't miss a wonderful day of golf, great networking opportunities, a no
host cocktail reception and auction! The annual Get-Away Golf Tournament
will be Friday, August 10 at Foster Golf Links. The fun begins with a
shotgun start at 8:00 am and continues with a BBQ lunch and auction
after the tournament.
Items are still being accepted for the silent auction. If you would like
to be a sponsor of this event or donate an auction item, please contact
the Chamber at 206.575.1633 or by email at staff@swkcc.org. To sign up a
team, contact the Chamber at 206.575.1633.
· SUCCESS Foundation Mexico Raffle
The
SUCCESS Foundation Mexico Raffle is entering its last weeks - A winner
will be drawn at the Chamber's Education Luncheon on June 8!
The Mexico Raffle winner will receive round trip airfare between Seattle
and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on Alaska Airlines, round trip transfers
between the airport and hotel, and seven days and six nights
accommodations at the Sheraton Buganvillas. One ticket requires a $5
donation. There are 1000 raffle tickets and the winner will be drawn at
the June 8th Membership Luncheon. You need not be present to win.
Help support the SUCCESS Foundation's student scholarship fundraising by
purchasing raffle tickets at the Chamber office or at the next Chamber
membership luncheon.
· 84th Annual Burien Independence Day Parade Application Deadline Extended
The
application deadline for the 84th Annual Burien Independence Day Parade
has been extended to June 15th.
Anyone and everyone is encouraged to join the fun! If you or someone you
know is interested in participating in the parade, please call Dianna at
the Chamber for more information 206.575.1633 or visit the Chamber
website www.swkcc.org for an application. We are looking forward to a
fantastic turnout this year!
The parade is not only a long time community tradition in Burien, but
also one of the most spirited parades in the region! Bring your family
and friends to Downtown Burien for an afternoon of entertainment on the
4th of July!
· Sea-Tac Airport Businesses Win National Recognition
Four
businesses at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport recently received top
honors in the 2007 Best Concessions Poll at the Airport Revenue News
Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida.
Fireworks was named Best New Specialty Retail Concept and Best
Airport Retail Store Design (small concessionaire); Made in Washington
received Best Airport Retail Store Design (large concessionaire); and
Anthony's was chosen Best Airport Restaurant Design (small
concessionaire). In addition, Vino Volo, a fine wine shop that opened
last October, won the Small Retailer with Highest Regard for Customer
Service award. All the award winners are located beyond the security
check points in the airport's new central terminal.
"We're very proud of the work we and our concessionaires have done
during the past few years to improve our facility," said Port of Seattle
Commission President John Creighton. "If you've been to the airport
recently, you know that these businesses are part of a great new
shopping and dining experience at Sea-Tac."
The Port added 10 new concessions to the airport when Concourse A opened
in 2004. When the central terminal opened in 2005, another 20
concessions opened. In addition, the airport adopted a policy of "street
pricing," which means airport concessions cannot charge prices higher
than those found at comparable stores and restaurants.
In 2006, sales for all of Sea-Tac's concessions reached record sales of
$134.9 million, a $21 million increase over sales in 2005. On average,
each traveler spends $9 on food or shopping during a visit to the
airport. The airport is self-funded and does not receive Port of Seattle
property tax money - money spent at the airport for food/beverages,
shopping, parking, car rentals, etc. is used to operate the facility.
"Travelers tell us they like what we offer," said Commissioner
Creighton, "And, we congratulate our concessionaires for being
recognized nationally for their good work."
· Student of the Month for May
Gagandeep Kaur
Gagandeep Kaur immigrated to America in July of 1997 with her family,
whom she currently lives with in SeaTac. After arriving to a new
country, she was immediately enrolled in public school where she
attended elementary, middle school and high school. She is currently a
senior at Global Connections High School, where she is active in the
global community. Gagandeep has dedicated herself to not merely
completing all of her academic requirements, but also surpassing them by
holding positions in DECA and the National Honor Society. She has
completed honor- level work in all of her classes and she holds a solid
3.7 GPA in her high school career. Along with maintaining such a high
academic standard, she has also been actively involved within her
community. She has completed a public relations project in which she and
two of her peers raised over $1,600 for orphans in India. Also,
Gagandeep and her partners competed at the DECA State Competition where
they placed 1st. Gagandeep's future goals include entering the medical
field while continuing to be globally connected with her society and the
world.
· Opportunity: Thank You
The
Southwest King County Chamber is in need of your help! Currently needed
are promotional items to be distributed among the Chamber's new and
renewing members via the "Opportunity: Thank You" gift bags.
Each month, Chamber Ambassadors visit the workplaces of our new and
renewing members and thank them in-person for their support of the
SWKCC. During this visit, the Ambassadors give a gift bag full of
goodies from our Chamber members.
Unfortunately, the supply of items is running dangerously low, and any
donation you can provide would be greatly appreciated! Items previously
donated include sticky pads, pens, coffee mugs, mouse pads, and gift
cards. This is an excellent opportunity for your business to support the
SWKCC and its members - and it's a great source of free advertising!
If you have items you would like to donate, please bring them to the
Chamber office or to a Chamber event. If you have questions, please
contact Dianna at 206.575.7767.
· City Beats - SeaTac
Fire
Department CodeRED Software Implementation:
With the assistance of the City Council, the City has implemented
CodeRED software. This ultra fast telephone service allows the City to
contact area residents and give them brief messages over the telephone
during a disaster or police incident.
City Implements Emergency Management Software: The City has
implemented new software to enable better decisions and tracking of
events during a disaster. WebEOC was recently implemented for personnel
and more is to follow. This software is compatible with both King County
and the State of Washington to assure we are as capable as possible to
provide the most effective emergency management possible.
Spring Yard Debris Collection Event: On April 28 the City of
SeaTac hosted its Spring Yard Debris Collection Event at Tyee High
School. We had 562 vehicle loads, collecting 112.12 tons of yard debris.
This makes it the third largest event we have promoted. We had a
beautiful, dry day that turned out to be sunny and warm. Traffic was
constant throughout the day without any breaks.
SeaTac contracts to have all the yard debris transported to Cedar Grove
where it is composted, diverting the organics from the landfill.
Composting decreases the need for commercial fertilizers by adding
nutrients to the soil, and helps to increase water retention and reduce
water runoff.
Photo Exhibition: The City's annual Photo Exhibit drew 62
entries, with six pieces being selected for purchase to add to the
City's permanent collection. The winners were: Mystic Morning by
Morrie Carter; Icy Leaves by Virginia Carter; Into the Aspens
by Terry Eggers; Little Italy New York and Used Bike by
Michael Frey; Big Red by Stephanie Gambini. Honorable mention
went to Thornton Creek Apple Trees by Dick McMahon.
· City Beats - Tukwila
Tukwila Village Presentation:
At
the City Council meeting on Monday, June 4, 2007 Ron Sher will present
his recommendations for developing Tukwila Village as a neighborhood
gathering spot with a library, coffee shop, some retail stores, office
and residential. Ron is the owner of the Crossroads Mall in Bellevue,
Third Place Bookstores, and Honeybear Bakery. He is the lead tenant at
Lake Forest Park's Third Place Commons and a partner in Elliot Bay
Books. A few months ago the City hired Ron's development firm,
Metrovation, to provide some advice on Tukwila Village. The Council
meeting is a 7:00 pm at Tukwila City Hall. For more information, contact
Economic Development Administrator Derek Speck at
dspeck@ci.tukwila.wa.us or 206.433.1832.
Tukwila Farmers' Market Returns! The Tukwila Farmers' Market will
run this year on Wednesdays from noon to 6:00 p.m. from July 11th
through August 29th. It is moving across the street and will now be held
in the parking lot of the Tukwila Trading Company at South 144th and
Tukwila International Boulevard. After the market, you can walk across
the street to Cascade View Park for free music. For more information,
visit:
www.ci.tukwila.wa.us/farmersmarket/farmersmarket.htm
· Education Corner
Highline Public Schools Update
The Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) and the PEMCO
Foundation announced Highline Public Schools Superintendent John Welch
as the recipient of the 2007 Robert J. Handy Most Effective
Administrator Award in the large-sized school district category. Jim
Menzies of the PEMCO Foundation and WASA Executive Director Paul Rosier
presented the award at the WASA Superintendent Workshop in Chelan. The
small and mid-size district winners were recognized in March.
In his fifth year at Highline, Superintendent Welch is credited with
developing a district vision through which Highline remains
"laser-focused on preparing every student for college, career and
citizenship." He is recognized for "creating a culture of accountability
for student learning" and for inspiring staff throughout the district to
work toward this common vision. Welch works to ensure district decisions
at all levels are focused on moving the district toward its vision, and
he provides the necessary supports to make it happen. Such supports
include critical self- assessments and accountability measures to ensure
administrators and teachers are held accountable for student
achievement. Class courses are aligned with state standards by means of
a K-12 curriculum audit and high school courses are aligned with college
coursework via a college alignment audit-to ensure Highline students are
adequately prepared for post- secondary studies.
District efforts to improve student achievement are based on the
philosophy that a knowledgeable staff is critical to student success. To
that end, all I-728 dollars have been directed to instructional coaching
and professional development. Reaffirming its efforts, Highline's
effective instructional coaching practices have been highlighted
nationally. Community support is equally essential to student success
and in terms of teamwork, Welch is cited for being a master at community
outreach-that is, he works with a wide variety of community leaders,
external organizations and education foundations to identify programs
and ways to best serve students and, ultimately, further the district's
vision.
Seattle Christian Happenings
Advanced Placement testing occurred May 7-18 with 40 students
participating in the AP Spanish Language, AP U.S. History, AP English
Literature and AP Calculus. Students who take the Advanced Placement
tests and score 3, 4 or 5 receive college credit and/or advanced
placement in college classes. Results are mailed to the schools in late
July.
In June, a group of students, teachers and parents will be traveling to
Mexicali, Mexico to help construct housing, organize children's groups
and provide health services and supplies. This is a no-frills event with
the participants traveling by bus in order to deliver the needed
materials.
Graduation for the class of 2007 is June 10. Parents, teachers and
classmates will honor the sixty-one seniors. The very personalized
program will highlight each senior individually. The valedictorians are
Trevor Barronian, Anders Dallum and Amy Harris.
Tukwila School District No. 406
The schools are winding down from another very successful school year.
Seniors will be graduating in early June and the following top ten
seniors are to be commended:
Valedictorian 1. Lizbett Benge 4.0
Valedictorian 1. Jaspreet Kaur 4.0
Salutatorian 3. Ayano Patrick 3.989
4. Anh Tuyet Tran 3.966
5. Joseph Farnsworth 3.959
6. Sara Mayers 3.953
6. Michelle Tong 3.953
8. Quan Phan 3.950
9. Christifer Tomoson 3.931
10. Elvin Misut 3.829
10. Stephen Smitherman 3.829
The Tukwila Community Schools Collaboration, the District's before and
after school program for students, recently won a National award!
For more than 35 years, the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL)-a
non-profit, nonpartisan organization based in Washington, DC-has worked
to achieve better results for children and youth. IEL staffs the
Coalition for Community Schools, (CCS) an alliance of national, state
and local organizations in education K-16, youth development, community
planning and development, family support, health and human services,
government and philanthropy as well as national, state and local
community school networks. The Coalition advocates for community schools
as the vehicle for strengthening schools, families and communities so
that together they can improve student learning.
Each year, the CCS identifies three community school initiatives that
they believe represent the best in community schoolwork: one for large
communities, one for small communities and one for individual schools.
This year, the Tukwila Community Schools Collaboration was chosen for
the small communities award.
The award will be presented in Washington DC, before Congress, by House
Majority Whip Steny Hoyer on June 14.
· Renewed Members
The Southwest King County Chamber extends its gratitude to
renewing members for their continued support.
1-5 Years
Burien Chevrolet, Inc.
Crown Management Group
Farmers Career Center
Gap/Gap Kids
Lawton Publications
Lighthouse Consulting Inc.
Mali Thai Cuisine
Normandy Park Assisted Living
Phone Directories Company (PDC)
Photography by Steven
Rite Line Tax Service, Inc.
SDV (USA) Inc.
Seattle Mental Health
Southwest Seattle Surgery Center
Wienerschnitzel
6-10 Years
Auto Paint Specialty
Boysen & Boysen, LLC
Burien Toyota Scion
Highline Therapy Services
YRC Worldwide
11-15 Years
All Freight International, Inc.
Goodwill Industries
16-20 Years
Hampton Inn-Seattle Airport
Hampton Inn-Southcenter
South Seattle Community College
20+ Years
DoubleTree-Guest Suites
DoubleTree-Seattle Airport
JAS Forwarding (USA), Inc.
Patha, Inc.