Chamber Ensemble

You would expect the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce to be focused on issues such as job creation, education and transportationand we are.

You might not expect to see our chamber actively engaged in celebrating and promoting Seattles vibrant music scene, featuring Sir Mix-A-Lot at our social media conference, or creating a common ground vision for sustainable prosperity with our labor, environmental and nonprofit partners.

We are doing all of these things because we believe the business community thrives when the whole community is healthy.

Our most recent initiative is focused on the many businesses in our region that are minority or women owned, or have fewer than 100 employees. During this time, when we see signs of life returning to our economy, we want to provide the tools and connections these businesses need to succeed.

Recent data collected by the chamber as part of its Job Sector Survey show why this is so important. Of the 1,700 respondents, 29 percent were minority- and women-owned businesses. These businesses are strongly optimistic about their prospects and are 50 percent less likely to downsize staff. Among all businesses, small companies with fewer than 100 employees are the most likely to hire in 2012.

These businesses are absolutely essential to the current and future health of our community. Thats why the chamber recently hired an executive responsible for multicultural and small-business development. We are also working closely with partners, from small- and minority-business development organizations to our regions many ethnic chambers of commerce.

The Job Sector Survey also allows us to connect quality of life directly to the health of our community. In the two years that the survey has been conducted, employers from 15 sectors listed quality of life and environmental surroundings as the number one benefit of doing business in Seattle and the Puget Sound region. In a highly competitive global marketplace, this is a truly unique asset that we must preserve and protect.

Right now, one of the most exciting opportunities to improve our quality of life is the transformation of Seattles waterfront. We all treasure open spaces where we can take a stroll, eat a sandwich, walk our dog or simply enjoy the natural surroundings. The chamber was a strong proponent of the campaign to replace the unsafe Alaskan Way Viaduct with an underground tunnel. We will stay engaged, working with other stakeholders to ensure we create a place that is accessible, lively and in keeping with Seattles strong tradition of a working waterfront.

The finaland perhaps most essentialconnection between a strong community and business growth and success is the strength of our educational system. Drawing again from the Job Sector Survey, 79 percent of employers in high-growth sectors such as life sciences, health care and energy said they need employees with bachelors or masters degrees.

Clearly, there is a disconnect between employer needs and our states current trajectory when it comes to funding K-12 and higher education. The chamber is committed to working with a wide range of partners to improve our educational system. Progress is being made, such as the passage of bills in the 2012 legislative session that support workforce training for aerospace and science, math, technology and engineering curricula. But it is still frustratingly slowtoo slowfor such a critical part of our economy.

More remains to be done on education and all the other issues Ive mentioned. The chamber is at the table working to raise awareness, develop solutions and make a measurable impact. If you care about these things, I encourage you to visit seattlechamber.com and learn how you can become part of our ever-growing team. The work we do today will create a healthy and strong Seattleand that is good for business.

Maud Daudon is interim president & CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Previously, Daudon served as president & CEO of Seattle-Northwest Securities Corporation.