1. Virus Vigilance
Last Tuesday at the Economic Forecast Summit, former governor Christine Gregoire and local health officials encouraged people to keep up with COVID-19 precautions. Wearing a mask, social distancing, hand washing, and adhering to public health guidelines remain the best ways to prevent Covid from spreading. Gregoire advocated for clear communication from hospitals and businesses to the public, financial support for low-income households, and support of businesses affected by the most recent restrictions.
Mike Marsh, president and CEO of Overlake Medical Center, acknowledged the positive vaccine news, but reiterated Gregoire's encouragement to continue being vigilant. He noted Overlake's Covid hospitalizations have doubled over the last few weeks, with positivity rates climbing from about 3% over the summer and early fall to over 20% now.
Washington state hospitals are working together to make sure no hospital is overwhelmed and patients receive quality care.
Learn about our changing face, changing cityscape, and our changing response to community building in this year's 2020 Economic & Community Metrics guide.
2. Keep It Local King County
As much as we need to wear masks, practice social distancing and avoid indoor gatherings, right now, we need to safely support our local restaurants, retail shops, gyms, fitness studios, regional arts and cultural institutions, too.
Consider purchasing a membership to a regional arts and cultural institution, many of which have moved online, ordering take-out from a local restaurant, joining a virtual fitness class, or supporting a small business by ordering online and picking up curbside.
3. A New Class of CEOs
After completing a four-week virtual Young Entrepreneurs Academy program, 16 Eastside middle and high school students pitched their business idea to an esteemed panel of judges. Several Chamber members volunteered their time to share their expertise with the students as mentors, teachers or judges. A huge “thank you” to Alan Gonzalez with Microsoft and recent graduate of UW Bothell Master’s in Business Administration for returning as the YEA! class instructor.
The next class will begin in March.
4. Congratulations Jessica Hagan
Congratulations to former Chamber Board member Jessica Hagan for her recent promotion to president and general manager of KTVB and KTFT! Hagan has been the director of sales for King 5 Media Group since 2016 and has built "a culture of high achievement dedicated to customer service."
The Bellevue Chamber thanks Jessica for her contributions to the Chamber and community and wishes her the best of luck in her new endeavor.
5. Keep Bellevue Strong
The joint Bellevue Chamber and Bellevue Downtown Association Budget Task Force presented recommendations to the Bellevue City Council last night. Our priority right now is to bolster Bellevue’s resiliency against recession and to ensure the City is positioned for a swift recovery.