Before You Vote, Ask Better Questions Campaign season gives us plenty of answers. Maybe this is the time to ask better questions. In the coming days, ballots will begin arriving in mailboxes across our community. And between now and Election Day, we will see plenty of campaign signs, mailers, advertisements, social media posts and endorsements [...]
We’re Hearing from Businesses. Now We Need the Data. It seems like nearly every conversation with a local business owner or employer right now includes some version of the same question: How are things going? And increasingly, the answer is complicated. Businesses continue to navigate higher costs for goods, services and supplies. Many are watching [...]
When the Forecast Becomes a Workplace Issue: Heat, Smoke, and Summer Safety Posted August 3, 2026 Summer in Washington brings longer days, busy schedules, outdoor events, construction season, tourism, agriculture, landscaping, deliveries, and plenty of reasons for businesses to be active outside. It can also bring heat, wildfire smoke, and rapidly changing conditions that affect [...]
Still Worth Believing In Posted July 6, 2026 The Fourth of July has always carried a mix of celebration and reflection. There are the familiar traditions: flags waving, kids with glow sticks (or green Peoples Bank light sabers if you were at Zuanich), lawn chairs set up early, music in the air, and families gathering [...]
A Little Sunshine for the Local Economy Posted June 1, 2026 There is something about this time of year that feels different. After months of gray skies, shorter days, rain jackets, and the familiar Pacific Northwest routine of “maybe it will clear up later,” the arrival of warmer weather feels like a collective exhale. We [...]
Reaching for What’s Next Posted: April 6, 2026 There’s no denying that this moment feels uncertain. Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen difficult headlines, including the closure of valued local businesses. These are more than storefronts—they represent people, families, and years of hard work. Moments like this can shake confidence and raise real questions [...]
Six Words to Start the Year Show up. Be kind. Choose joy. A new year doesn’t need grand resolutions or dramatic reinvention. Sometimes it just needs a few steady reminders we can carry with us into our days, our work, and our community. Show up. Together. Progress rarely happens alone. Whether it’s in our workplaces, [...]
Blink, and Here We Are. Where Did the Time Go? Posted: December 5, 2025 "45." No, not that 45. I’m talking about an age. In less than a month, the oldest of the millennials will turn 45. As an elder millennial myself, this is the number staring back at me. Say what you will about [...]
A Penny for Your Thoughts: The City’s $10 Million Question (and a 0.1% Answer) August 28, 2025 The City of Bellingham has recently floated the idea of a new sales tax — specifically, a 0.1% increase. Yes, that’s one-tenth of one percent. On paper, that means if you buy a $10 sandwich, you’d pay an [...]
Cross-Border Update: “Thank a Canuck for Spending a Buck”… and Don’t Cheese Them Off July 2025 Many of you will recognize the phrase above — a favorite of the always-memorable Mike Kent, a beloved member of our business community. He’d say it on his KGMI radio show, at events, and pretty much anywhere he could. [...]
Independence and Interdependence: Supporting Our Local Economy This July Monday, June 30, 2025 As we gather with friends and family to celebrate the Fourth of July — a day rooted in the ideals of independence, resilience, and shared purpose — it’s a fitting time to reflect on what those values mean for our local community [...]
Leadership Starts with Showing Up May 29, 2025 With everything going on in the world lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about leadership — specifically, the opportunities we have to lead and the gaps where leadership is needed. Before I go too far down that path, I want to share what I believe is one [...]
Tariffs, Taxes, and Minimum Wage ... Oh my April 24, 2025 It seems that at every level of government, decisions are having a direct impact on our local business community. Consumer confidence is faltering—and based on conversations with many of you, business and economic confidence may be even more fragile. Tariffs and Cross Border Business [...]
A Fond Farewell to The Chamber Personality Liz Leighton, 1951-2025 A little-known fact, known only to a few of the people who have worked for the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, is there is a qualification in each of our staff job descriptions: Must have a chamber personality. It is my assumption that each of [...]
Vote No Again The proponents say this initiative is for affordability. We agree our community is not affordable for many of our residents. Unfortunately, the primary thing this initiative will do is simply make things more expensive – thus decreasing everyone’s affordability. If a higher minimum wage leads to affordability, we should already be affordable [...]
Young Professionals recognized with the 2023 Top 7 Under 40 September 14, 2023 Tomorrow’s leaders are here today working in positions behind the senses and in those of prominence. The Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Whatcom Young Professionals, a chamber program, recently announced this year’s Top 7 Under 40. This is our [...]
Working Together for Additional Public Safety Solutions The Downtown Bellingham Partnership, in collaboration with the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and a group of community-minded leaders and business owners, are working together to encourage additional public safety solutions and investment in Downtown Bellingham. Since mid-2021, the Downtown Bellingham Partnership and the City of Bellingham [...]
Why "Yes for Kids" October 12, 2022 You may have seen our name as a supporter of the Healthy Children's Fund (Prop 5) to be on the ballot in November. Yes, you read that correctly. As an organization that values efficient and effective government with smart taxation, it may be a bit surprising to see [...]
Thank you Mayor Fleetwood Climate Action Fund proposal has been paused Wednesday, June 22, 2022 Last night the City of Bellingham issued a press release regarding the newly proposed Climate Action Fund levy originally scheduled to be on the ballot this November 2022. We value this prudent decision for a number of reasons. We would [...]
How NOAH concepts can help the Whatcom County rental market May 25, 2022 We hear a lot about the need for affordable housing in Whatcom County. But what, exactly, makes housing affordable? Elements such as vacancy rates, property size, location and building condition play large roles in the cost of rental housing in any community. [...]
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