City Council Update: Everett’s "New" Chamber of Commerce
You’ve likely heard the buzz that Everett has a new Chamber of Commerce; and during the February 12th City Council Meeting, Tyler Chism, the Place Making Program Manager for the City, and Wendy Poischbeg, the new CEO of our Chamber of Commerce, provided some updates on that “new” group.
We put “new” in quotations because, as some readers may know, Everett has had a Chamber of Commerce before. In fact, our original Chamber was formed in 1892 and only merged with other Snohomish groups in 2012 to create the Economic Alliance of Snohomish County. This recently formed group aims to build on this history while strategically supporting the local business community.
Poischbeg started her own business, a coffee house, at 22 years of age and has used her insight and experience, including her work with the City of Everett as a former member of the Parks and Recreation Department team, to support businesses and entrepreneurship in our city and county.
Since it was formed, the Chamber has worked to create its foundational elements, including an implementation plan, a formation committee of community members, mission and value statements, and a membership structure to meet Everett’s diverse business needs. It was the formation committee that created the Chamber’s pillars of community engagement, business advocacy, business resources, and placemaking and tourism to guide our Chamber’s growth and emphasized the idea that this group should not duplicate efforts from the Economic Alliance. The Chamber has also put in efforts to ensure that legal requirements were established so it could function as a non-profit 501(c)(6) with appropriate organizational roles, as well as a 3-year sustainable operating budget and policies that define best practices.
Once the legal framework was set up, the Chamber then focused on its operational systems, such as financial accounts and reporting processes, social media platforms, and even a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to better support communication and engagement.
Membership development came next, which included outreach and recruitment, as well as developing an on-boarding process so new members could be oriented to the Chamber and start participating immediately. At this time, the Chamber has 5 tiers membership - from start-up businesses for $100 and sponsor businesses for at least $500 - with different benefits at each level. Additionally, the Chamber has already hit 25% of their projected growth goal for 2025 within their first 30 days, so there is clearly an interest from local businesses to support one another and Everett as a whole.
While most of the funding for this group comes from membership at this time, grants and sponsorships are also generating some revenue, as will expected workshops and other events planned for the future. According to Poischbeg, the group looks forward to building on their momentum with next steps focused on events, outreach, grant development, partnership expansion, and recruitment.
This brings us to our most recent City Council meeting on the 19th. There, the City formalized its relationship with the Chamber by consenting to a professional services agreement that lasts until 12/31/2025, with the option of extending the contract for one year at that time. Part of this agreement includes quarterly performance meetings with staff, annual reports to the City Council, and funding for $290,000, distributed quarterly with monies from COVID-recovery funds, so the Chamber can prioritize supporting the City’s economic development in five main areas: Business outreach and engagement, events and programming, marketing and promotions, advocacy, and technical assistance.
If you are interested in joining the Chamber and supporting economic development in Everett, or if you simply want to attend one of their events, you can learn more here.
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Angela Di Filippo currently works in State Social Services and recently earned her Masters in Industrial/Organizational Psychology with extensive training in evidence-based leadership coaching. Angela moved from North Carolina to Washington 6 years ago and has proudly called Everett her home for 5 of those years. When not helping others solve problems in creative and strength-driven ways, Angela enjoys her time painting, hiking with her terrier-mix, Indy, and eating waffles.
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We head to one of the best Christmas light displays in the city in this spot check.
Over 50 feet tall, and it just keeps growing. This is Everett's Christmas tree.