Bellevue, Seattle Chambers host first joint board meeting in decades

Tale of Two Chambers?

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," at our most recent board meeting, as we not only met with our own board, but with our colleagues over at the Seattle Metro Chamber, too.

The first meeting of its kind since, frankly, most of us have been working, we were delighted to start what we hope to be an ongoing tradition.

Hosted by T-Mobile at their Bellevue campus, we were treated to remarks from their Executive Vice President, Susan Loosmore, as well as CEO Mike Sievert and founder John Stanton. King County Executive Dow Constantine also took the stage, followed by our respective Chamber CEOs, Joe Fain and Rachel Smith, engaging in a fireside chat about regionalism. 

“There's always folks that are trying to push the perception that it is Seattle against the rest of King County, or Seattle against Bellevue, and it's a zero sum game,” said Fain. “But, in fact, just not that long ago, we were asked to do what at the time were characterized as dueling op-eds in the Seattle Times … So, independently and collectively, we went back and said, that's not the message.”

“The message isn't when one wins the other loses, the message is that we are one region and all these issues that we have to tackle, we have to tackle together.”

We also got to hear from a panel of our board members, including Board Chair Pearl Leung, Alaska Airlines’ Megan Ouellette, and Microsoft’s Teresa Hutson, moderated by T-Mobile’s VP of Government Affairs, Dave Bezzant. 

“I think looking back in the last 15-20, years, we have made an incredible stride in building our regional muscle, thanks to both of the chambers here today and some some of the other organizations that have been formed the last 10-15, years, like Greater Seattle Partners and Challenge Seattle,” said Leung. “One example that's top of mind for me right now, that I think is a really good example of regional collaboration, is Easttrail.”

“They have garnered incredible support on all levels of government, from federal, state, local, all the cities involved, and of course, King County being lead in that.”

Before the joint meeting, we also held our separate board meetings — meet the newest members of the gang here — and afterwards, commemorated the occasion with some good ole fashioned food-and-bev. 

Thanks again to T-Mobile for your hospitality, and S/O to everyone who could make it. Our region is so much stronger as a result.