THE CHAMBER’S ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT IS SOLD OUTFew Sponsorship Opportunities Remain Page 16 CHAMBERNews

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THE GREATER VANCOUVERCHAMBER OF COMMERCE

OFFICERSChair: Don Russo, Schwabe, Williamson & WyattChair Elect: Eric Sawyer, BBSI Preferred PayrollVice Chair: Eric Olmsted, On Line Support, Inc. Secretary – Treasurer: Winston Asai, Columbia MachineImmediate Past Chair: Kristy Weaver, Pacific Continental Bank

BOARD OF DIRECTORSJody Campbell, The ColumbianTodd Coleman, Port of Vancouver John Deeder, Evergreen Public SchoolsTamara Fuller, NAI Norris, Beggs & SimpsonDave Horowitz, Windermere Real EstateBen Hoskins, 1-800-GOT-JUNKElie Kassab, Prestige DevelopmentDan Monaghan, Perkins & Co. Wayne Nelson, Clark Public UtilitiesWilliam Pritchard, Pritchard OrthodonticsRhona Sen Hoss, Vancouver School Foundation Tim Schauer, MacKay SpositoKeith Wallace, Frumenti, Lander & Wallace, P.S.Jeff Woodside, Nutter Corporation

CHAMBER STAFFKelly Parker, President/CEO360-567-1050 kparker@vancouverusa.com

Darcy Altizer, Vice President, Member Services360-567-1051 daltizer@vancouverusa.com

Susie Bauder, Events Director360-567-1093 sbauder@vancouverusa.com

Matt Hoffstetter, Sales Director360-567-1058 mhoffstetter@vancouverusa.com

Teresa Lawwill, Community Relations Director360-567-1090 tlawwill@vancouverusa.com  Chandra Chase, Communications Director Managing Editor of the Vancouver VISION Magazine360-567-1056 cchase@vancouverusa.com 

1101 Broadway, Suite 100 Vancouver, WA 98660360-694-2588yourchamber@vancouverusa.comwww.vancouverusa.comfacebook.com/yourchambertwitter.com/vanchamberpinterest.com/gvccvancouver

ChamberNews (USPS 008786) is published bi-monthly by the Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, 1101 Broadway, Suite 100, Vancouver, WA 98660. Tel. 360-694-2588, Fax 360-693-8279. ChamberNews annual sub-scription is $25. Periodicals postage paid in Vancouver, WA.Postmaster: Send all address changes to ChamberNews, 1101 Broadway, Suite 100, Vancouver, WA 98660.This publication is dedicated to providing Chamber busi-ness news, educating the reader, and providing critical com-mentary.

Volume 42 • Number 10

2014 MAY/JUNE EDITION SPECIAL SECTION: OUR NEWS ROOMS

This Issue’s Contents

Features:

4 PTAC Government Contrac ng Event

6-9 News From the Head of the Chamber

16 Annual GolfTournament in June

In All Issues: 4 TOP FIVE EVENTS, 5 WHAT’S NEW, 21 RENEWALS, 20-23 RIBBON CUTTINGS AND NEW MEMBERS, 24 EVENTS CALENDAR

On The Cover:

PGs 20-21The GVCC’s “red coat” Ambassador team was on loca on at Colum-

bia Credit Union’s New Opera ons Center for

a record breaking BASH (Business and Social

Hour) event.

Ribbon Cuttings:

PAGE 1A collec on of 2014

Clark County newspapers, websites and publica ons that showcase Southwest

Washington Businesses stories.

Special Section:

PGs 11-14A Newsroom Roster of

our Southwest Washing-ton’s Media outlets!

They’ll dish the “Do” and “Don’t” ps for success-

fully submi ng press releases, story ideas and

news ps! THIS MAGAZINE IS PRINTED BY:

ADCO PRINTING & GRAPHICS

355 GRAND BLVDVANCOUVER, WA 98661

THE CHAMBER’S COMMUNITY RECAP! PAGES 18 & 19Around Town:

FIVE NOTABLE UPCOMING EVENTSTAKE NOTICE

5.14.14MEET THE SMALL BUSINESS MENTORPlease join the GVCC at the ESD #112 Building at 7:30am to “Meet the Mentors” of SCORE, a free resource to local entrepreneurs and small business owners. We’ll kick things off by welcoming Bill Rut-tledge, SCORE’s current Chairman, who will outline what SCORE off ers and how they can help small busi-nesses of SW Washing-ton. Please RSVP, $5/person.

This event is hosted by the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce.

5.20.14BUSINESS AFTER HOURS EVENTJoin the GVCC in East Clark County at Camas Meadows Golf Course for the May “Business A er Hours” event! Enjoy wonderful food, great prizes on the beau ful grounds of this Clark County trea-sure. This is a perfect opportunity to meet poten al new custom-ers; remember to bring plenty of business cards.

This event is hosted by Camas Meadows Golf Course.

6.24.14BUSINESS AFTER HOURS EVENTHelp the GVCC and the “Red Coat” Ambas-sador team welcome a brand new member to the Chamber at the June Business A er Hours event! Pacifi c Rim Exterior, who just joined the Cham-ber will be the June Business A er Hours sponsor! They will also have an offi cial ribbon cu ng ceremony at Cellar 55 Tas ng Room, the event loca on.

This event is hosted by Pacifi c Rim Exteriors.

6.12.14THE GVCC’S ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENTThe Chamber’s BIG-GEST signature event of the year is around the corner! Every year the Golf Tournament sells out for player and sponsorship opportuni- es. This year is the

same - player spaces are sold out, the only way to get in, is to se-lect a sponsorship that includes player spaces. Get on the waitlist!

This event is sponsored by Columbia Bank.

PTAC�GOVERNMENT�CONTRACTING�EVENT

07.15.14LADIES ON THE LINKSThe Chamber will have two start mes at this event: one for newbies needing lessons and one for seasoned golf-ers to get right onto the course. This event is perfect for the fi rst me golfer needing

a pu ng and driving range lesson. A er lessons, the seasoned golfers will arrive. Then, there will be a break for a social pe-riod, fun ac vi es, and snacks; then its off to the course for 9 holes of golf!

This event sponsorship is open.

Meet the Buyer: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

At this no cost workshop learn how you can do business with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other federal agencies. First, under-stand how to establish a complete, accurate, and op mized SBA Profi le, to increase your visibility, credibil-ity, and viability with small business specialists and buyers with federal agencies and large prime contractors.

FRIDAY, May 16th 2-5pm

Carroll Bernard(360) 567-1092 cbernard@vancouverusa.com

PTAC SW Washington Counselor

Then, you’ll meet and network with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Small Business Program Manager of the Portland District Carol McIntyre who will discuss Key agency consid-era ons that are part of the decision-making process when determining a set aside strategy. Hosted at the Riverview Community Bank building. RSVP at www.vancouverusa.com.

Visit www.VancouverUSA.com for more info VISION VANCOUVER Magazine 5

In April, the GVCC was on location with Ben Young, the administrator at ManorCare Health Service in Salmon Creek, where Rep. Paul Harris recently visited. Harris, has been advocating for enhancements to Medicaid skilled nursing reimbursement (which improves access to medical services for Clark County’s most frail citizens). While on location, Harris was treated to a reception and test-

What’s

New

Rep. Paul Harris Visits ManorCare, Showcases Technology

Phase 2 of #nextchapter Program Ends

with May 9th Event #nextchapter is a community based digi-

tal learning program, which focuses on one book and accompanying lectures

and events. Last spring, phase one was launched - it was successful! The pro-

gram’s focus is to close the tech knowl-edge gap in Southwest Washington;

which spans multiple generations. This program aims to expand our knowl-

edge based economy in Clark County through community engagement.

This year, in March 2014, the second phase of #nextchapter launched at City Hall led by co-chairs Dr. Dene Grigar, director of the Creative

Media and Digital Culture program at Washington State University Vancouver, and Jack Burkman, council mem-

ber for the City of Vancouver - who lead the program with a number of other community partners. A free show-

ing of “The Social Network” took place at the Kiggins as well as free workshops on digital lit-eracy at the library through-out April. The second phase

of the #nextchapter pro-gram will end on Friday,

May 9th at the Kiggins the-atre when this year’s fea-tured book author, Cathy

Davidson, “Now You See It” will be on location in

Vancouver! Pick up a copy today and get up-to-speed!

Will Oremus of Slate wrote (which was re-published by the Columbian Newspaper in April) that Facebook is trend-ing towards slashing Facebook business pages’ organic reach to only 1-2%. This meaning, all those contacts you’ve worked so hard to connect with would be held hostage for ransom money known as the “boost post” option. It will cost you $20+ each time you post, just to reach your existing follow-ers (beyond that 1-2% engage-ment estimate). Here are a few suggestions to combat this probable change:

Collect emailsIf you have emails, then you

Social Media Trends: Organic Reach of Business Facebook Pages Predicted to Decrease

P

keep the ability to contact your customers. Do not forsake a sign up form for eNewsletters, Special Offers or New Product Announcements on your web-page. Bank those emails in an Excel spreadsheet if you don’t use a service like icontact.com or constant contact, which allow you to create newsletters with ease and host lists of your con-tacts.

Your personal FB profilePeople want to know YOU, a per-son who also happens to own a business. Mix in business related posts with real life content posts. Be funny, personable and not obvious when promoting your

business. Build your contacts on your personal page as well as your business page. Also, utilize the list feature on facebook. You can create a “friends and family” list, a “work peers” list and a “leads” list within your personal account - so you don’t lose the ability to post what you feel instead of worrying about your busi-ness image.

Be engaging! On your business page, ask ques-tions, use humor and spark a conver-sation. When your followers are engaged you will get a higher reach then 1-2% on your feed.

Don’t ignore your business page

Since your business page is indexed by google its still a via-ble way for your business to be found - especially small busi-nesses. The last thing you want is your facebook page covered in digital spider webs when a first time visitor lands there.

Be encouraged! Social media is ever-changing, and when we keep abreast of these changes we can roll with the punches instead of being knocked out. Try new platforms. If your business is visual get onto Pinterest! If your business has up-to-the-minute announce-ments Twitter might be for you!

ed out ManorCare’s new “virtual rehabilitation” system: The OmniVR™. This is the world’s first 3D virtual rehabilitation

sys-tem designed specifically for aging adults and others with physical limita-tions. The tech-nology is an important new tool for physical, occupational and speech therapists to help improve function, while making the thera-py process more fun and reward-ing for patients.

Left: Rep. Paul Harris on the right with ManorCare Staff and Patient. Top: Teresa Lawwill of the GVCC gives a demonstration of the OmniVR 3-D rehabilitation system.

May/June 2014 Edition www.facebook.com/yourchamber6

CHAMBER NEWS AND UPDATES

GVCC Testifies on Small Business Environment in Southwest Washington to US Senate Committee: We are a Good Investment

BY KELLY PARKERGVCC CEO/PRESIDENT

Recently, the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce was asked to tes fy before the US Senate Commi ee on Small Business at a fi eld hearing in SW Washington. We thank Sen. Ma-ria Cantwell for the opportunity to be heard. Here is the tes mony we submi ed and we welcome your feedback and comments. “The Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce represents 1,000 businesses in SW Washington which includes 45-thousand employees. As you know our community was

struck hard by the 2008 recession. Our local econo-my relied heavily on construc on. The fall of the real estate market was devasta ng to local builders and related businesses.

We also experienced a local bank failure. The problem was compounded because the FDIC did not require the assuming bank to pick up the performing loans. As a result, businesses with good loans and credit were also shut down when the loans were called. They couldn’t get loans at other banks because we were in the throes of the na onal bank crisis. Times here have been bleak. We are just now ex-periencing a modest but sustained recoveryYou ask, how are we doing now? Do we have access to capital? Yes and no. Banks are adver sing opportuni es now. They’re requiring ex-cellent credit and proof of performance. Small and/or new businesses fi nd it diffi cult to get loans. That’s a double edged sword – both good and bad. We have to have our “A” game to be successful. Not only are banks scru nizing our fi nancials but they’re looking for all the suppor ng doc-

uments such as business plans, market-ing strategies. We’re will-ing to do that work.We’re grateful for the help of business ad-vocates such as the Small Business Ad-ministration through its SCORE pro-gram, SBDC program and the regional SBA offi ce. Here in V a n c o u v e r however, we tend to feel a bit removed b e t w e e n Portland and Sea le. We are served by our Portland

Oregon offi ce. We appreciate the outreach they’ve done to connect with our small businesses. But our business owners have a hard me ge ng out of their offi ces to drive to Portland for workshops

and mee ngs. At the Chamber, we’d like to help facilitate that con-nec on. We invite the SBA to hold fi eld offi ce hours here in Vancou-ver once a month here at our chamber offi ces where we have plenty of mee ng space. Our busy businesses need ‘one stop shopping’. That’s why we’re crea ng a small business resource center for busi-nesses at the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce. We thank the SBA for its support in helping businesses get ready to apply for a loan. But what happens when a business isn’t qualifi ed? There are limited resources of non-bank funding avail-able for short term projects. It’s a long shot and many businesses get discouraged while trying to navigate the system. The Chamber sees businesses that are in a posi on to ex-pand but do not have the capital to realize their dreams. These are good businesses, with good to okay credit ra ngs that do not qualify for loans because of the credit score system and the banking stan-dards today. Star ng a business requires taking a risk. We celebrate that spirit of American entrepreneurship. The ming is good right now for small business growth and investment. Anything you can do to create a friendly atmosphere for business lending will have strong posi ve impacts on the proverbial Main Street. Anything you can do to promote investment for start-up’s will net favorable gains in the long term. We are not bankers, just businessmen and women who want to support our families and provide jobs in our community. We want a chance to compete and thrive just like the large corpora ons. We need an advocate in Washington DC to look at banking and fi nancial regula ons from our perspec ve. It’s said all the me that small businesses are the backbone of our economy. We are the job creators. To create new jobs, we need be er access to capital to expand. And I can tell you with great confi dence, we are a good investment.”

Our business owners have a hard time getting

out of their offices to drive to

Portland for workshops

...We invite the SBA

[Oregon Office, which serves SW Washington]

to hold field office hours here in Van-

couver once a month here at our

chamber offices.

Photos provided by the CREDC

At our recent Cham-ber Board Retreat, the directors of GVCC engaged in a spirited discussion on the role

of the Chamber as a community leader. As

the largest business or-ganiza on in Southwest Washington our mission is to help businesses grow. We do that through a mul-

tude of promo ons, legisla ve lobbying, sponsorships, our small business resource pro-grams, networking and by hos ng an assort-ment of community events. In our role as advocates for you and your business, the GVCC also has a responsi-bility to help our communi es thrive. One way we do that is by suppor ng projects and leg-isla on with strong poten al to benefi t many businesses and people in this area. Determin-ing which projects or legisla on to champion is not always easy. The GVCC diligently reviews and considers various factors in making such determina ons. Basing decisions on fact is a sound strategy. Unfortunately, facts have a way of becoming distorted, manipulated or buried so deep in rhetoric that people may tune out en re discussions on signifi cant issues. It is im-portant that we all strive to educate ourselves on issues facing our community and to par ci-pate in making decisions that shape the future of our community.

DON RUSSO, Schwabe Williamson

& Wyatt

1251 Officers Row, Vancouver, WA 98661 | 360.695.2442 | www.vbjusa.com

May 22, 2014 | 5:30-7:30 pm

PLAN TO ATTEND THESE UPCOMING VBJ EVENTS!

BREAKFAST SERIES EVENT

BOARDROOM EXECUTIVE SESSION EVENT

June 4, 2014 | 7:30-9 am

The Business of Marijuana: Realities of retail sales & consequences of its use in the workplace.

Sponsored by Corwin Beverage, Riverview Community Bank and Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt

Brickstone Ballroom at 105 W. Evergreen Blvd. Vancouver, WA 98660$45 pre-registration required. Admission includes generous appetizers along with beer, wine and soft drinks.

Featured CEO, Todd Coleman, Port of Vancouver

Sponsored by Miller Nash and Riverview Community Bank

Artillery Barracks Building 600 E. Hatheway Rd. Vancouver, WA 98661Seating is Limited! $45 pre-registration required. Admission includes generous breakfast buffet and coffee service.

The Chamber can and does take po-si ons on issues. Our Board members have talked about when it might be appropriate to be adversarial and when we should be a neutral convener. If there’s public debate on a school levy or tax vote, our role is to use our collec ve business voice. In other mat-ters, rather than take an adversarial role, the GVCC can be er serve the greater good by providing access to facts on controversial subjects so you can make your own informed decisions. By ac ng as a convener, your Chamber can pull together local partners to provide informa on and forums on impor-tant projects and issues. In the case of the proposed county charter, we are preparing to partner with our local college and university to provide intelligent and fact-driven discus-sion to help you decide this issue for yourself. In June the Chamber will host a community discussion that will provide you with easy to digest material to help you understand your choices when ballots arrive in November. Speaking of November, that brings up an issue that’s easy for the Chamber to take a strong posi on on: We think vo ng is important. Everyone should exercise their right to vote. Now is a great me to make sure you’re registered to vote. If you have moved recently, you will want to update the elec ons offi ce with your new address. This an easy task you can do online. Go to Myvote.wa.gov. With a bit of eff ort from each of us, we become more responsible for the choices which shape the future of our community.

Chamber Leads: Community Discussions

TOP

Chamber

Supporters

CHAIRMANÊS CIRCLEPacific Continental Bank SEH America, Inc.Legacy Salmon Creek Medical CenterSterling BankRiverview Community Bank

INVESTOR MEMBERS

ThankYou

EVENT SPONSORSBUSINESS AFTER HOURS/ BASHMAY CAMAS MEADOWSMAY BURGERVILLEJUNE PACIFIC RIM EXTERIORS

GVCC SIGNATURE EVENTSTHE GOLF TOURNAMENTCOLUMBIA BANK

LADIES ON THE LINKSOPEN

PRESIDENTÊS CIRCLEColumbia Machine, Inc. iQ Credit UnionBurgerville – Holland, Inc. Kaiser PermanentePeaceHealth Southwest Medical CenterChevron USAComcast Business ClassBNSF RailwayColumbia Credit UnionOnline SupportColumbia State Bank

CHAMBER SPOTLIGHTS & REPORTS

By Teresa LawwillGVCC Community Rela ons Director

Did you know this about S E H Amer-ica?

• They are making a diff erence by inves ng in our schools. They have partnered with the Evergreen School District to provide oppor-tuni es for school students to ex-plore careers in a variety of math, science, technology, and manufac-turing related fi elds.• SEH employees have donat-ed hundreds of toys and clothing items to local low income children, as well as clothing, food, and gi s for en re households through organiza ons such as; Salva on Army, SHARE House, and Next Step.• Dr. Chihiro Kanagawa, CEO of SEC (Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd.),

S E H America Continues as Community Stakeholder and World Leader in Silicon Manufacturing

By Darcy Al zerGVCC Vice Presi-dent, Member Services

M e m b e r s h i p expansion is our

top priority! During the month of April we launched our fi rst ever organized member-ship drive, “30 in 30.” The eff ort was a guys’ versus girls’ compe on; also known as Team Blue versus Team Pink. We thank Sharif Burdzik, Riverview Community Bank and Tamara Fuller, NAI – Norris, Beggs & Simpson, (pictured below) for stepping up as team leaders!

Also, Eric Sawyer of BBSI Pre-ferred Pay-roll, who is this year’s

‘April Only’ Membership Drive Builds Camaraderie & New Chamber Membership

the parent company of SEH America, es-tablished a beau ful Japanese friendship garden Clark College created on Clark’s main campus.

S E H America has been a member of the chamber since 2005 and a Chairman’s Circle Tier member since 2010. SEH America’s commitment to quality and con n-uous improvement in their prod-ucts is carried over to their com-mitment to the local and global community. They have a tradi on of inves ng me, resources, and leadership in the Vancouver area and beyond. While those are just a few facts about S E H they con nue to be a world leader in Silicon Wafer Manufacturing, but they are also a valued community leaders.

BELOW: Ben Ba-gherpour, VP of Op-era ons for SEH America stands fourth from the le , with fellow nominees as one of the Cham-ber’s fi nalists for the Com-munity Builder Award for 2013.

GVCC Chair-Elect on the Board of Directors for being a key vol-unteer - pictured on the far right with the pink t-shirt. Right out of the gate four local businesses recognized the value of the Chamber! These new Chamber members represent business diversity in Clark County and took advantage of our April only special packages. This spe-cialized promo on off ers three enhanced membership bundles. Clearly, the GVCC is the one orga-niza on that can deliver! Welcome aboard!

White Oak AlpacasMassage Envy

Babe e’s HatworksAllFate Industrial Supply

We are fortunate to have Chamber leadership

recognize that in-c r e a s i n g the mem-b e r s h i p pool is a benefi t for all busi-n e s s e s , even their own. While this is our fi rst-ever Mem-bership Drive, we’ve defi nitely all benefi ted from the team build-ing during this process and had a li le fun! “Team Pink” called a rally mee ng on April 1st that was ‘crashed’ by the leadership of team Blue. In good fun and spirit, Dave Jacobus, a GVCC Am-bassador and a Blue Team mem-ber made a special t-shirt for Sawyer, that said in text “Team Blue” on pink fabric - humor-

ously comment-ing on his dual role as volunteer administrator of the membership drive and member of the Blue Team. It’s this type of engagement that will provide deep-er bonds for your business with the

GVCC ac vi es, commi ees and events. We thank

you for your membership! While the member-ship drive is technically over, do not be discouraged from refer-ring poten al businesses! The GVCC’s membership benefi ts are vast and we’d love to hook them up with Ma Hoff ste er our Chamber’s Sales Director to see if a membership is a good fi t.

Le : New Members Karin Finch of White Oak Alpacas, and Barbara Creager of Babe e’s

Hatwork with Mary Sisson of Kazoodles!

Visit www.VancouverUSA.com for more info VISION VANCOUVER Magazine 9

Sign up for your FREE daily business e-newsletter!

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To subscribe to The Columbian call 360-694-2312.To subscribe to The Columbian call 36

Here’s how you sign up to get your FREE e-newsletter:

1. Go to www.columbian.com

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5. Choose the email format you prefer

6. Click the “subscribe” button

7. Your eNewsletter(s) will arrive in your in-box the next business day

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timely news and information about what’s happening in

Clark County’s expanding business community. BUSINESS TODAYHere’s how you sign up to get your FREE e-newsletter:Here’s how you sign up to get your FREE e-newsletter:

Chamber Remembers Community Leaders: Valuable LessonsERIC OLMSTED, Online

Support and Public Affairs Committee Chairman The four words we love to hear; “How Can

I help?” Community leaders Val Ogden and

Phillip Parker asked this ques on countless mes

during their extraordinary lives – both dedicated to community service. We lost them both within the span of a week; two very special leaders who were ac ve in the chamber and loved the community. As our community pays tribute to both: we fi nd ourselves ask-ing the ques on, “how best do we honor them?” Val Ogden passed away April 9th at the age of 90, a devoted public servant and volunteer whose love of community was matched only by her perseverance to move good projects and people forward. Val served as a state legislator; described as both tenacious and likable. She champi-oned the causes in this community, funding for WSU-Vancouver, Vancouver’s water-front trail and a Clark County Performing Arts Center. She mentored young women encouraging them to take on leadership roles in the community. She was named Clark County’s First Ci zen in 2006 and to the very end of her life, Val Ogden found ways to serve the community. In 2013,

she volunteered to serve as a County Free Holder assigned the task of working with 14 other freeholders to dra a new county charter. She freely shared her knowledge, enthusiasm and her passions. She is greatly missed. Like Val, Phil-lip Parker dedicated his life to serving the community. Philip died April 2nd at the age of 67. As a re red electri-cian, Phillip helped lead the labor community through his work with IBEW Local 48 and the Labor Roundtable of Southwest Washington. He worked on the state transporta on com-mission responsible for funding state trans-porta on projects. He was always working on bringing good projects to the community to create good jobs. Phillip was a so spoken man with a friendly smile who welcomed and encouraged everyone he met. He had a knack or stay-ing calm when everyone else was upset. He focused on fi nding solu ons and building con-sensus in the community. His friends describe him as a most humble man who rolled up his sleeves to do the hard work encourage those around him and infl uence decisions makers at

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the top. As community leaders what do we learn from Phillip and Val? We see the example set of strong, compassionate and humble leadership. We see two people who gave more to us then we could ever give to them. We have an opportunity and a respon-sibility to try to be a li le bit more like them every day. We are challenged as community and business leaders to ask ourselves, “what needs to be done, and how can I help?”

Thank you Phillip Parker and Val Ogden. You are deeply missed.

Photo Courtesy of the Columbian NewspaperVal Ogden sitting in between former Governor Christine Gregoire and her

husband, Dan Oden.

A Glimpse Inside Clark County’s Media Outlets

Something terrible happens when you do not contact your local media outlets - nothing!

The columbian

Meet the business team

Independent and locally owned since 1890, The Columbian is Clark County’s #1 local news and informa on source. We reach 196,000 engaged, loyal, weekly readers with daily print media and nearly one million visitors to www.columbian.com each month.

Gordon Oliver, Business Editor gordon.oliver@columbian.comDO: Tell us the LOCAL angle. That means Clark County, not Port-land. Understand that we focus almost exclusively on local compa-nies and people. DON’T: Get fancy or clever with a news release. We simply don’t have me to strip away rhetorical and promo onal fl ourishes to get to the essence of a news release. If your release reads line an adver sement for a company, it probably will not run.

CRAIG BROWN, Metro editor craig.brown@columbian.comDO: Send your press release to the person who will handle the sto-ry. When in doubt, send it to metrodesk@columbian.com.DON’T: Send the press release directly to the publisher or the edi-tor; that creates a long chain of forwards and poten ally delays its arrival to the right person.

Columbian Continued on page 12 >>

TheMessengerThe Messenger is mailed free to any-one in Clark County 50 or older who requests it. Read about ac ve adults, travel, health, educa on and leisure in-forma on and other ma ers of interest to SW Washington’s senior residents. The Messenger is owned and published by the City of Vancouver, Washington.

Greg Johnson, EditorNews@seniormessenger.orgDO: Send PR via email in Word (preferred over pdf). Paste news release into body of message as well – no forma ng. Use “bcc:” to conceal

distribu on list when needed. Always pro-vide a ‘cut line’ for the photo: a brief sen-tence describing what is shown in the image or video. Iden fy all individuals le to right.

DON’T: Submit low-resolu on or poorly lit photos. Try to keep the release to one or two pages, but balance brevity against failure to include necessary informa on.

Meet the EDITOR

This special sec on features ps directly from the reporters on what to DO and what NOT to do when submi ng press releases and news ps. We hope this special sec on helps you navigate your local media outlets more successfully to increase coverage. Take these ps to heart!

Our News Rooms

The ColumbianVancouver Business JournalThe Variety Post

Camas Post RecordThe ReflectorThe Daily Insider

The MessengerClark County liveOregon Live: Clark County

2014 MAY/JUNE SPECIAL SECTIONREMOVABLE FOUR PAGE PULLOUT

>>>>>>>>>>>>

OUR NEWS ROOMS

Aaron Corvin, Port & Economy Reporter aaron.corvin@columbian.comDO: Send press releases at least a week in advance, with relevant pho-tos and the proper contact person for poten al follow-ups. DON’T: While, I don’t mind receiving a phone call or email from someone who’s following up a er sending a press release; keep in mind one phone call or email is certainly enough.

The columbian continued

the business team

Mary Ricks, News Assistant mary.ricks@columbian.comDO: Always send me the me, date, place and how much it costs to a end. DON’T: Wait un l the day before you want to see the item in the paper before telling me about it. Give me informa on early.

MARK BOWDER, Asst. Metro editor mark.bowder@columbian.comDO: Remember to provide contact infor-ma on in your press release, especially for individuals in your organiza on who are directly involved in the story. Make sure to clear it with them that they may be contacted for an interview and photo-

graph. Nobody likes surprises.DON’T: Send a press release at the end of the day right before you go home. A reporter or editor may have a ques on that needs to be answered right away before they can do anything with the informa on. That great press release you just sent about an event just might have not included the date of the event. Help us get it right by being available for a follow-up ques on.

Scott hewitt, Social & Neighborhood Reporter sco .hewi @columbian.comDO: Remember that reporters are intensely busy people juggling too much stuff . Don’t get off ended if you don’t get a prompt, eager re-sponse. Do off er a mely, gentle reminder.

DO: Give us suffi cient advance no ce to coordinate complicated schedules - remembering that photographers are even busier and

ghtly scheduled than reporters. A week or two is great. 72 hours is nice. 48 hours is OK. 24 hours is not much. Same day - forget it. DON’T: Call your press release “Press Release,” which would be akin to a newspaper headline that says “Newspaper headline.” It says nothing and makes me go clicking to fi nd out what it’s all about. Tell me what/where/when in the subject line if you can. Like:

“Community garden plan ng, Bagley Downs, April 11”“Cancer fundraiser, Columbia River HS, May 1”“Press conference on oil trains, Port of Vancouver, February 29”

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Ashley Swanson, Features News Coordinator ashley.swanson@columbian.comDO: Be clear! As a person who receives 60+ press releas-es a day I’m looking for relevant informa on, the local aspect, and the who, what, and where. DON’T: Send low quality images. We do want photos to illustrate stories. People standing in front of your busi-ness logo doesn’t say much about your company or your

message. Show a bit of personality, a bit of ac on to draw a reader in.

Pauline sipponen, News Assistant pauline.sipponen@columbian.comDO: Send press releases by email with per nent informa on that’s easy to fi nd, copy and paste. DON’T: Just send a colorful brochure with images. It might be pleasant to look at, but they’re diffi cult to use.

cami joner, Retail & Real Estate Reporter cami.joner@columbian.comDO: Contact me about de-velopment projects, com-pany reloca ons/layoff s/leadership changes. Reach out with economic trends

you’re no cing - is something high demand, a change in consumer trends? Always try to back things up with some data. DON’T: Expect us to cover business events in person. We seldom have the me to a end, but please email us those dates - we do have a sec on for business news briefs.

Justin Runquist, Small Ci es Reporter jus n.run-quist@columbian.comDO: Think about the di-rect sources within the company who might be able to speak at length about the issues in a press

release, and then try to make them available for interviews. Media rela ons folks are o en a great place for reporters to start, but we usually need to go deeper. DON’T: It can be frustra ng when business reps repeatedly call to ensure the news about their company gets coverage.

Tyler graf, Small Ci es & Schools Reporter tyler.graf@columbian.comDO: Find the “news” in whatever you’re pitching. Nothing is worse than a news release that’s pure-

ly promo onal. Find an interes ng angle that could be the source for a poten al feature story. DON’T: Try to make the story bigger than it needs to be. These requests o en come via phone calls, and reporters hate taking them. There’s limited space in the paper, so editors and reporters have to make choices.

this is not a comprehensive list Please visit each media outlet’s

Website for a full staff roster

ONLINE only NEWS SOURCESThe daily insider

Clark county liv

Nancy Bacon, Heather McClellan, Rainie Kirkevold info@dailyinsider.com DO: Be terse and pithy! Include the who, what, when, where, and why; and always submit a photo/logo. If sending a release months in advance, indicate a publica on week preference.

DON’T: send just a fl yer or a press release in a PDF.

mitch canton Director, Digitcommunity@clarkcountylive.co

TIP: With proper a ribu on to Jerrywould be: “Help us help you, to helyou want us to post about your newity or event, please make sure thwe do you share it back to your owof friends. When we know we are igether, it makes it much more likelycan work with you to share the joy

Vancouver Business Journal

Meet the business team

Chronicling the region for nearly two decades, the Vancouver Business Journal – along with its annual pub-lica ons – is packed with regional business news including breaking news, execu ve comings and goings; government ac ons that aff ect the business marketplace; innova ons and technological advances; and an insider look at development, construc on, health care, workforce development and more. We’re all busi-ness – local business. Follow the VBJ online at www.vbjusa.com.

Nicholas shanmac, Managing Editor nshanmac@vbjusa.comDO: Be mindful of audience when sub-mi ng your story to publica ons. For ex-ample, the average reader of the Vancou-ver Business Journal is unique compared to the average reader of a daily newspa-per. Use this knowledge of audience to

tailor your message. DON’T: Be afraid to open up. With all of the nega vity in today’s media landscape, it’s understandable why some businesses shy away from the public eye. However, at the Vancouver Business Journal we truly want to celebrate your success. Help us tell your story of growth, job crea on and innova on to inspire the community.

KIM SMITH, Book of Lists/Movers & Shakers ksmith@vbjusa.com DO: U lize the online tools under Busi-ness Toolbox at www.vbjusa.com to keep us aware of any new hires, cer- fi ca ons, business ventures, events,

etc. Submi ng via our website means it will go to ALL the people that need to

see it so your company can gain coverage through the vari-ous VBJ outlets (print, online, Just Business e-newsle er, etc.)

DON’T: Wait ll the last minute to submit informa on to us. Send it as soon as it’s been fi nalized so we have that many more chances to get your informa on in front of our readers.

GET TO KNOW:

VBJ special Publications

JohnMcDonaghPublisher jmcdonagh@vbjusa.com

MonikaspykermanNorth Bank NOW Editormonika@north-banknow.com

Jessica Swanson North Bank & Special Publica ons jswanson@vbjusa.com

View a comprehensive list online including publica on themes, Top Projects, and the Business Growth Awards.

The columbian continued

stover harger, Neighborhood Reporterstover.harger@columbian.com Remember: It never hurts to ask. A quick email pitch might end up being the catalyst for a dynamic feature. What you think is the real story might not catch our a en on at the moment, but something just beneath the surface might.

Emily Gillespie, Breaking News emily.gillespie@columbian.com Remember: I need to speak with those most aff ected by an event, which can take place at a business, i.e. a fi re, robbery, workplace shoo ng, workplace accident, etc. People care about our busi-nesses and their employees, so I would encourage businesses to be open to talking to reporters in these situa ons.

<<The Oregonian: Clark County

While the Oregonian does not produce the Clark County Community News sec on anymore, they do have the Clark County page on their website (found under local on our menu). You can post items on there and send news ps to: newsroom@oregonian.com.

They also produce a Clark County Calendar, online. Submit via email: lis ngs@oregonian.com.The Oregonian hosts a public blog, where anyone can post! Visit www.oregonlive.com/local; in the righthand rail is a box that says Post Your News to a Public Blog.

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2014 MAY/JUNE SPECIAL SECTION REMOVABLE FOUR PAGE PULLOUT

Camas post record

Meet the business team

The Camas-Washougal Post-Record produces a weekly news-paper focusing on East Clark County. It’s a showcase of news, sports, opinion, schools and hometown news of Camas and Washougal. You can follow them online at www.camaspostre-cord.com and read ar cles on their updated digital pla orm.

Michael Wagar, Execu ve Regional Editor michael@therefl ector.comDO: Contact me if you want to discuss the vision or overall philosophy of the newspaper.

DON’T: Contact me if you have a story idea; please contact our Editor Ken Vance.

Heatheracheson Managing Editor heather.acheson@camaspostrecord.comDO: Provide press releases about top-

ics specifi cally related to Camas and Washougal that are succinct and to-the-point. Be sure to include contact name, email address and phone number.DON’T: Submit poor quality or low-resolu on photos. We’d rather have the opportunity to come to your business and shoot a photo that’s crea ve and helps to tell the story.

Dan Trujillo Sports Reporterdan.trujillo@camaspostre-cord.comDO: Provide

the Post-Record with sta s cs on Camas and Washougal ath-letes and teams.

DON’T: Hesitate to call 735-4676 with game reports and interes ng sports topics. Don’t wait for a phone call. Be proac- ve and informa ve.

Dan ielle frost Educa on, Lifestyles Reporterdanielle.frost@camas-postrecord.comDo: Put relevant, hu-man-interest facts into your press release. DON’T: Try to turn your press release into an ad.

Dawn feldhaus General Assign-ment & Business Reporter dawn.feldhaus@camaspostrecord.comDO: Let me know about a grand opening, etc., as soon as it is sched-uled, preferably two or three weeks in advance.DON’T: Try not to wait un l the last minute to tell me about an event to preview. The Post-Record is a weekly publica on.

the reflectorThe Refl ector is distributed free of charge to all homes in its circula- on area -- from northern Vancouver

through Ba le Ground, Ridgefi eld, La Center, Amboy, Yacolt, Woodland, Brush Prairie, Ariel, Cougar and Heisson. Plus, the digital version of each pa-per is online at therefl ector.com. The Refl ector is a trust-ed news source, wri en with independence and integrity.

Ken Vance, Editor ken@there-fl ector.comDO: Contact me with any

ques ons, concerns or story ideas. DON’T: con-tact me to ask when your news item will appear in the paper. Un l the paper is completed, I just won’t know.

Joanna Michaud, Reporter joanna@therefl ector.comDO: Contact me with info on City of Ba le Ground and the BG School District. DON’T: Contact me to discuss adver sing or other business-re-lated issues with the paper.

Steve Kadel, Reporter Steve@therefl ec-tor.com

DO: Contact me with in-forma on and story ideas about the ci es and of Woodland and Ridge-fi eld, the school districts in those ci es and Clark County news. DON’T: Con-tact me to discuss story placement, presenta on or other editorial-related ques ons.

VIKI EIERDAM, Freelance Reporter Viki@therefl ector.comDO: Check www.TheRefl ector.com weekly for my stories. DON’T: Don’t call me at The Refl ector Newspaper offi ce, I’m not there.

Variety post

Gary and Deborah Morris, Co-publishers info@morrisme-diagroup.net DO: Send stories, photos and press

releases to the appropriate columnist or the editor. DON’T: Send items that do not pertain to the genre of our publica on.

Meet the team

The Variety Post off ers its readers brilliant wri ng, literary panache and memorable artwork. They of-fers a fascina ng mix of com-munity news, entertainment, healthy living, business & fi nance, fam-ily, beauty & fashion style, science &

technology, trav-el, food, home & gardening,

book reviews, and sports to surprise and delight readers in Clark County.

OUR NEWS ROOMS

Pam Young,Columnist pam@pamyoung.org DO: Contact for hu-mor and inspira on story submissions.

PHIL SILVER, Columnist pnsilver@gmail.com DO: Contact directly for children’s story submis-sions.

DAVID DOERR, Columnist greekwriterbc@aol.comDO: Contact regarding his-tory/philosophy/science story submissions.

Victoria trabosh, Columnist vicky@victoriatrabosh.comDO: Contact regarding stories, ques ons and or comments for a life coach submissions

the GVCCChandra chase,Communica ons Director cchase@vancouverusa.com

YOUR ADVERTISEMENT HERE!YOUR ADVERTISEMENT HERE!Contact: Chandra Chase, GVCC Communica ons Director at cchase@vancouverusa.com or (360) 567-1056 for rates and promo ons!

• New retail shopping center will include a Wal-Mart Supercenter opening 2014.

• Located at the new Scotton/SR 503 signalized intersection.

• Pads and retail space available.

• Groundbreaking Summer 2013.

Developed by Principal Properties, LLC.Map data ©2013 Google

New Development in Battle Ground, Washington

Call for details: T.J. Fontenette 360.834.1060 • Email: tj@principal-llc.com

Put the brakes on energy waste. Learn more at

clarkpublicutilities.com

“Reducing wasted energy drives down costs and is good for everyone.”

- Dick Hannah Dealerships

Golf’s a Circus: Annual Golf Tournament Sold Out for Golfers, Waitlist AvailableIn April the GVCC sold out for player spaces for individuals and teams wan ng to golf in the 2014 Annual Golf Tournament, themed: Golf’s a Circus! This event will take place at Lewis River this year and bring you all that you’ve come to expect from the GREATEST GOLF TOURNAMENT in Southwest Washington!

This year’s theme: Golf’s a Circus will encourage good humor and cheer - the perfect environment to strike up long las ng rela onships!

If you want to golf there are two ways to get in. First, try your luck on our waitlist by emailing Susie Baud-er, the GVCC’s Event Director at sbauder@vancouverusa.com. The second, sure-fi re way to get in with a team of four is to become either the Nike Tent Sponsor or the Course Sponsor!

The hard work is complete, we’ve got a full roster of business leaders signed up to play. Use this opportunity to reach them with an engaging business message! The Nike Tent is the perfect opportunity to make a memo-rable splash! You’ll get a ton of publicity and you’ll put cash in the hands of players to spend at the Nike Tent!

CHAMBER SIGNATURE EVENTS: THE ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT

rayou’ll put cash in the hanspend at the Nike Tent!

SPONSORS

On the course in 2013 at the Chamber’s 2013 Annual Golf Tournament at Camas Meadows.

The only other available sponsorship, that includes a team to play on event day is the Course Sponsor!

A few Tee-Sponsorships, perfect for on-the-green engagement are s ll open - these sell out every single year, so do not delay. Contact Teresa Lawwill, the GVCC’s Community Rela onship Director for any sponsorship inquiry at tlawwill@vancou-verusa.com.

IF YOU’RE PLAYING: On EVENT DAY EVENT DAY we’ll start things off at the registra on table at 7am and open the driving range for your usage. At 8:15 am our sponsors and CEO will say a few words and our shotgun start will begin at 8:30am. The goal is to get you through the course in about 5.5 hours and back to a sprawling lunch at about 2pm. Then, a nice awards ceremony, with prizes, give-a-ways and raffl e items!

PRESENTING:

SUPPORTING:

Tee Sponsors & More!

Visit www.VancouverUSA.com for more info VISION VANCOUVER Magazine 17

ADVANTAGEOUS ESTATE LIQUIDATORS4703 NE 46TH STREET, VAN-COUVER, WA 98661

APPLIED MOTION SYSTEMS

12000 NE 60TH WAYVANCOUVER, WA 98682

appliedmo onsystems.com

AVON-TRUDY MYRLAND SALES LEADER5714 NE 55TH AVENUEVANCOUVER, WA 98661youravon.com/tmyrland

BABETTE’S HATWORK. LLC400 E EVERGREEN BLVD SUITE 215VANCOUVER, WA 98660www.babe eshatworks.com

BLACKBIRD AND COMPANY2004 EAST 33RD STREETVANCOUVER, WA 98663 www.theblackbird.cc COBALT MORTGAGE7720 NE VANCOUVER MALL DRIVE SUITE 120VANCOUVER, WA 98662www.cobaltmortgage.com

DRESSCODE8300 E MILL PLAIN BLVDVANCOUVER, WA 98664www.dresscodeit.com

GET WAISTED NORTHWEST, INC.15640 NE FOURTH PLAIN BLVD. SUITE 210VANCOUVER, WA 98682www.nwgetwaisted.com

MAUL FOSTER & ALONGI, INC.400 EAST MILL PLAIN BLVD.VANCOUVER, WA 98660www.maulfoster.com

SALMON CREEK PLASTIC SURGERY

13712 NE 10TH AVENUEVANCOUVER, WA 98685www.salmoncreekps.com

UNIT 58 GRAPHICS100 WEST 11TH STREET SUITE BVANCOUVER, WA 98660www.unit58.com

9 ROUND FITNESS2714 NE 114TH AVENUEVANCOUVER, WA 986849round.com\fi tness\vancouver-wa

ADVANTAGE PROTECTION8510-C E MILL PLAIN BLVD.VANCOUVER, WA 98664

CULLIGAN OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST18445 SW 86TH AVENUETUALITAN, OR 97062

DREAM CAPTURE MEDIA, LLC5620 NE GHER ROAD SUITE MVANCOUVER, WA 98662www.dreamcapturemedia.com FRONT DOOR REALTY1815 D STREETVANCOUVER, WA 98663www.frontdoornw.com

FRONTIER LANDSCAPING, INC. 11402 NE ST JOHNS ROADVANCOUVER, WA 98686www.fron erlandscaping.com

HERITAGE BANK16400 SE 18TH STREETVANCOUVER, WA 98683www.heritagebanknw.com

IDEAL IMAGE720 SE 160TH AVENUEVANCOUVER, WA 98684www.idealimage.com

INLIGHT MEDIA, LLC

NEW

Chamber

Members

10521 NE 41ST AVENUEVANCOUVER, WA 98686-5882www.InLightMediaLLC.com

JANTZEN BEACH MODERN DENTISTRY12239 N CENTER AVENUEPORTLAND, OR 97217www.jantzenbeachmodernden stry.com LORI ANDERSON-BENSON, CLHMS,CRS7700 NE GREENWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 100VANCOUVER, WA 98662www.vancouverhomefi nd.com

MILWAUKIE LUMBER & HARDWARE13113 NE FOURTH PLAIN ROADVANCOUVER, WA 98662www.milwaukielumber.com

NW CONSTRUCTION GENERAL CONTRACTING INC. 22317 NE 72ND AVENUEVANCOUVER, WA 98604

PACIFIC PERKS COFFEE, INC.9014 NE ST. JOHNS BLVD. SUITE 111VANCOUVER, WA 98665www.pacifi cperkscoff ee.com

PHOENIX PROTECTIVE CORPORATION9013 NE HIGHWAY 99, SUITE LVANCOUVER, WA 98665www.phoenixprotec vecorp.com

REGAN BAIL BONDS612 W. EVERGREEN BLVDVANCOUVER, WA 98660www.reganbail.com

SERENITY WELLNESS AND NAILS105 EAST 25TH STREET SUITE #EVANCOUVER, WA 98663

TANIO CONSTRUCTION, INC.17006 NE 72 AVENUEVANCOUVER, WA 98686

THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION1053 OFFICERS ROWVANCOUVER, WA 98661www.cfsww.org

WALMART STORE 31452201 GRAND BLVDVANCOUVER, WA 98661www.walmart.com

WHITE OAK ALPACAS39908 NE 12TH AVENUEWOODLAND, WA 98674www.whiteoakalpacas.com

Interested in Joining the Chamber? Contact the GVCC Sales Director:

MATT HOFFSTETTER at (360) 567-1058 or by email at mhoff ste er@vancouverusa.com.

May/June 2014 Edition www.facebook.com/yourchamber18

The Greater Vancouver Chamber, Working to Move Business Forward: Spring Community RecapOver the past few months the Chamber staff , Ambassador team and members of the Board of Directors have been busy work-ing on a number of projects and events; was well as represen ng Vancouver Businesses in the Com-munity!

In March, the Chamber wrapped up our fi rst ever “Home Based Business 101 Series.” This was a brand new, open to the public workshop series off ering fi ve top-ics: Time Management, Market-ing, Life Balance, Media Rela ons, and Sales Mo va on. Marke ng was re-run due to bad weather condi ons on March 27th to com-plete the series. This new series was well a ended, some work-shops were over capacity.

The GVCC CEO was at the Chil-dren’s Center Bootleggers Ball in late February, suppor ng pro-gramming, as she holds a posi on on their Board of Directors. Darcy Alitzer, VP Member Services was at the Dream Big Community Cen-ter Annual event.

The Chamber’s Vancou-ver Goes Hollywood event at the Kiggins Theatre was a success. This was the second an-nual event, with Pacifi c Con nental Bank as the presen ng sponsor. The Limos dropped off the movers and shakers of Clark County on the red carpet for Vancouver’s

offi cial acad-emy awards viewing par-ty! The event theme was “It’s Great... It’s Gatsby!” and all the at-tendees wore outstanding

CHAMBER OUT & ABOUT

PRINTING

1920s era a re and competed in a best dressed man and woman compe on.

Throughout March and April the Chamber, Members of the Board, and the Public Aff airs Commi ee have been working to pull togeth-er informa on on the Freeholder/Home Charter Process. We’d like to present the informa on in an easy-to-digest way to inform our community in prepara on for the November vote.

Ma Janik of Fringe Digital Mar-ke ng Agency was the speaker at the March “GVCC’s Resource Net-work” training event and spoke on search engine op miza on and Google.

Two Chamber members were honored by Clark College at the Annual Iris Award event honoring women of achievement in Southwest W a s h i n g t o n .

Sherri McMillan of Northwest Personal Train-ing and Kristy Weaver of Pacifi c Con nental Bank were joined by a third recipient: Kris M. Henrik-sen.

Carroll Bernard, the Chamber’s PTAC Government Con-trac ng Counselor hosted a double header event at the Chamber offi ce. PTAC WORKSHOP #1 - Understand-ing, Capturing, and Leveraging Federal Cer fi -ca ons. And, PTAC WORKSHOP #2 - WA State Offi ce of Minority & Women’s Business Enterprises Cer fi ca ons Workshop.

The GVCC had a table, represent-ing the Members and distribu ng Business Directories at the “Mega Mixer” in Portland on Wednes-day, March 19th. There were over 10 other business organiza ons present.

Along with all the ribbon cu ngs featured on pages 20-23 the GVCC hosted a Business A er Hours and Ribbon Cu ng event at Elite Care!

At the Sharp Building in Camas the GVCC had it’s Annual Board Retreat. Our Board of Directors Kevin Hiebert of Resonate, who taught two of

the Home Based Business Workshops.

Matt Janik of Fringe Digital Marketing Agency as he presents to a full capacity crowd.

worked on stra-tegic planning for the Chamber with a facilita-tor. We recapped what had oc-curred in previ-ous cycles and projected fu-ture goals. The Chamber will celebrate it’s

125 year anniversary next year.

On March 26th the GVCC staff was in a endance at Fort Van-couver’s Marshall Awards Dinner at the Hilton, suppor ng Marshall Adult Leadership Award nomi-nee: Chandra Chase, the Cham-ber’s Communica ons Director. Star ng on April 1st the Cham-ber staff , Board Members and

Center: Sherri McMillan and Kristy Weaver with members of the GVCC Board.

Marshall Awards Dinner at the Hilton .

GVCC Board Retreat at Sharp.

AAA Washington 5 yearsClark County Habitat for Humanity Store 5 years Nanette M Walker CPA 5 yearsAlpine Mortgage 4 yearsAmfit Inc 4 years Deloris DuBois Johnson 4 yearsHighgate Senior Living 4 yearsHomes for Community Living 4 yearsSerenity Lane 4 yearsAccurate Electric Unlimited, Inc. 3 yearsBankcard Brokers 3 yearsCenturyLink 3 yearsMarriott Residence Inn Vancouver 3 yearsSpecialty Graphic Solutions LLC 3 yearsWebfor 3 yearsAho Construction 2 yearsA.L. Insurance Group Inc 2 yearsExtreme Turbo Systems, Inc. 2 yearsThe Hippert Company 2 years Humane Society for Southwest Washington 2 yearsLeilani Nalua’l Russell-Silpada Jewelry Design 2 yearsMeier Engineering 2 yearsOur Lady of Lourdes Catholic School 2 years Pacific Cascade Parking Equipment 2 yearsPita Pit / Yo licious 2 yearsSigns by Tomorrow-Vancouver 2 yearsQuality Sales Inc 2 yearsCar Forensics 1 yearThe Flower Express 1 yearHall Mediation Services 1 year

Vancouver School District 40 years Comfort Inn & Suites Downtown Vancouver 38 yearsColliers International Valuation & Advisory Services 33 yearsMiller Nash LLP 33 yearsKadel’s Cascade Auto Body 31 years Paul Schurman Machine Inc 30 yearsBrown & Brown Northwest 27 years

26-50 Years of Membership

16-25 Years of Membership

1-5 Years of Membership

Deane’s Graphics & Advertising 25 yearsSigns & More 25 yearsEOCF/Educational Opportunities for Children & Families 24 years Vancouver Warehouse & Distribution Co Inc 24 yearsRoyal Oaks Country Club 22 years Wilson Associates Architects & Planners AIA 21 yearsPortland Spirit 20 yearsChildren’s Home Society of Washington 17 years Eric Fuller & Associates Inc 17 yearsEverest College 17 yearsHomewood Suites By Hilton 17 yearsRiverview Community Bank 17 years

51+ Years of Membership

6-15 Years of MembershipCascade Inn 15 yearsColumbia Litho Inc 15 yearsFort Vancouver National Trust 15 yearsAmerican Equities Inc 14 years Clark College Foundation 14 yearsHarry’s Key Service Inc 14 yearsGlenwood Place 13 yearsAmeriprise Financial - Tech Center Pl. 12 yearsFort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation 12 yearsPort of Portland 12 yearsJust Right Auto Repair 11 yearsVancouver Housing Authority 10 yearsLacamas Community Credit Union 9 years Pickett Insurance Agency 9 yearsPortland Trail Blazers 9 yearsLucky Limousine 8 yearsUmpqua Bank 8 yearsCreative Computer Solutions Inc 7 yearsIMS Electronics Recycling 7 years

Biggs Insurance Services 79 yearsClark Public Utilities 63 years

Chamber

Members

Renewals

Upgrading to energy-efficient systems can save you money.

Energy Trust of Oregon has the expertise and a network of specially trained

contractors to get the job done—and our cash incentives help make it affordable.

+SAVE ENERGY. BRING US IN. Visit www.energytrust.org/BringUsIn or call 1.866.605.1676.

Serving customers of NW Natural in Oregon

and Washington.

WANT TO PROFIT FROM HVAC ENERGY SAVINGS? BRING US IN.

Thank you for continued Membership!

Community stakehold-ers joined together for a month long Membership Drive called “30 in 30.” This “boys versus girls” style compe on fea-tured three “April only” promo- onal packages. We want to thank

everyone involved in working so hard to grow our membership base!

On April 16th the Chamber co-hosted the 2nd Annual “Legisla ve Review Luncheon” at the Heath-man Lodge with BIA and BIG. It was informa ve and a great opportuni-ty to hear directly from our State Legislators.

Kelly Love-Parker the GVCC’s CEO was the em-cee at the Meals on Wheels fun-draising lun-cheon event at the Van-couver Hil-ton in April! Kelly Love Parker emceeing the

Meals on Wheels luncheon

Ribbon Cutting Experts Since 1890The Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce

MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES CEREMONIAL RIBBON CUTTING EVENTS

The Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce’s goal is to “Move Business Forward” and publicity for our members is a big part of that! Our GVCC Ambassador Team, which is made up of volunteer men and women from your community, dedi-cate their valuable me to suit up in red jackets at Ribbon Cu ng events through-out our community. The Ambassadors bring pres ge and fanfare to your loca on for an offi cial ribbon cu ng. The GVCC works with you to create a custom event that suits your needs and expecta ons.

Every single ribbon cu ng we host is dif-ferent, just as every business is diff erent. Here are our most popular op ons:

• Photo Opportunity Only Ribbon Cut- ng: Ambassadors and GVCC staff will

come to your loca on and meet your staff only for a 10-20 person ribbon cu ng photo.

• Remote Business Ribbon Cu ng: You can schedule your ribbon cu ng to take place a er a Southwest Washing-ton Leads & Needs event at Beaches or at the GVCC offi ce!

• Open House Ribbon Cu ng: Invite GVCC Members, your clients and the public to your loca on for a 1-2 hour open house event where your cer-

emonial ribbon cu ng will take place 30 minutes a er your start me. Be prepared to supply the food and ex-tend personal invita ons and a press release.

• BAH or BASH Ribbon Cu ng Combi-na on. As pictured in this spread, Co-lumbia Credit Union combined their Business and Social Hour event spon-sorship ($800) with a ribbon cu ng event and went all out on prizes and food! They had over 300 a endees!

No ma er if you have a zero budget, we can plan a ribbon cu ng event that will help promote your business, included in your price of membership!

If you’re wondering what fi ts under reasons to host a ribbon cu ng, here are some ideas: Grand Opening, Re-Opening, Expansion, Business Anniversa-ry, Hos ng a New Event, Major Business Improvement, Major Business Addi on, Change in Ownership, etc.

Photos from the April BASH (Business and Social Hour) and Ribbon Cutting Event at Columbia

Credit Union’s new operations center!

Th roughout my years at the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and Identity Clark County, I have either been behind the camera or in the background of countless ribbon cutting photos. On April 16th, Larry Paulson and I had the distinct pleasure, as members of Columbia Credit Union’s Board of Directors, to be holding the scissors and cutting the ribbon of CCU’s new Operations Cen-ter! It was a thrill! Th ank you to the CCU staff , the Chamber and everyone who worked to make the event a great success, and thank you to everyone who attended!

-Paul Montague

The April 16th BASH & Ribbon Cutting Event

Chamber

Benefit!

M embers featured on this spread have hosted a GVCC Rib-

bon Cu ng event between late February and mid April!

Every member can host a rib-bon cu ng event. Please call

EOCF (Educa onal Opportuni es for Children and Families) celebrates their new image!

Always�free�to�attend!�Upcoming Ribbon Cutting Events

Wed, May 14th @ 4:15pmTigerStop: 20 Year Anniversary Event!

thur, May 15th @ 4:15pm

Celebra ng Event Day at Sheared Delights

sat, May 17th @ noonMore�Ribbon�

Cuttingslisted�online.�

ABOVE: GRAND OPENING! of Pres ge Plaza at 305 E. Mill Plain Blvd. Vancouver, WA 98660.BELOW: NEW LOCATION: of Heritage Bank 16400 SE 18th Street Vancouver, WA

Darcy Al zer, VP Member Services (360) 567-1051 for details.

Visit www.VancouverUSA.com for more info VISION VANCOUVER Magazine 23

LEFT COLUMN, TOP TO BOTTOM: ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION by the City of Vancouver Urban Forestry at Esther Short Park. GRAND OPENING of Whole - Health Wellness, Corp 1409 Franklin Street, Suite 103, Vancouver, WA 98660 GRAND OPENING! of 9 Round Fitness at 2714 NE 114th Avenue, Vancouver,

WA 98684. RIGHT COLUMN, TOP TO BOTTOM: NEW LOCATION Elite Care at Sylvan Park 2410 NE 112th Avenue Vancouver, WA 98684 GRAND OPENING: Therapeu c Associates Hazel Dell Physical Therapy 318 NE 99th Street, Vancouver, WA.

NEW LOCATION, GRAND EXPANSION: Victor Fitness System at 1721 NE 64th Avenue, Suite 110 Vancouver, WA 98661.

CHAMBER RIBBON CUTTINGS

BELOW: GRAND OPENING! at South Pacifi c Restaurant and Bar 1109 Washington Street, Vancouver, WA 98660.

PeriodicalUS Postage

Paid Vancouver,

WA

1101 Broadway, Suite 100 - Vancouver, WA 98660 USA

VISION VAN

CO

UVER

Magazine

5/1/14GVCC EVENT

R CWALMART NEIGHBOR

HOOD MARKET7:30AM

Join us at the grand opening of their NEW

loca on.

5/2/14COMMUNITY

EVENTT T

6502 NE 47TH AVENUE6:30PM

The Clark County Food Bank welcomes you to this food and beer

event!

5/3/14#NEXT CHAPTER

EVENTIPZ IVANCOUVER CITY HALL

1PMLearn about the IPZ and explore the pos-sibili es for Digital Technology in our

region.

5/3/14COMMUNITY

EVENTW R F

AHUMANE SOCIETY FOR SOUTHWEST WASHING

TON7:30AM REGISTRA

TIONRaise funds, earn

prizes and par cipate in the 3mile walk or 5K med run. $25/

person.

5/7/14GVCC EVENT

S W

L NBEACHES RESTAURANT7:30AM 10AM

Get a chance to speak and connect via small group breakout ses-sions. Sponsored by: White Oak Alpacas!

5/9/14MEMBER EVENT

N 4 N

GVCC OFFICE 9:30AM 11:30AMTips on making the

most out of network-ing events! Hosted by DIY Marke ng Center

5/9/14COMMUNITY

EVENTT

L G D A

GIVING CLOSETA end this event to

aide the less fortunate in our community.

5/9/14#NEXT CHAPTER

EVENTP 2 F

EKIGGINS THEATRE

6PMCathy Davidson, au-thor of the commu-

nity reading challenge book: Now You See It will be in Vancouver!

5/14/14GVCC EVENT

R CEOCF

4:15PMJoin Educa onal

Opportuni es for Chil-dren and Families as they unveil their new

image!

5/15/14GVCC EVENT

R CTIGERSTOP4:15PM

Celebrate TigerStop’s 20 Year Anniversary!

5/16/14GVCC EVENT

PTAC M B E

RIVERVIEW COMMUNITY BANK

2 5PMOp mized SBA

Profi le and Meet and network with the U.S. Army Corps of Engi-neers Small Business Program Manager.

5/17/14GVCC EVENT

R CWHITE OAK ALPACAS

NOONJoin us at the

“Sheared Delights” family event!

5/18/14COMMUNITY

EVENTC E

SVANCOUVER HILTON

11AM 4PMThis event is designed for residents over 50!

Encounter exci ng services, ideas, and

resources available for your ac ve, healthy,

independent lifestyle!

5/20/14GVCC EVENT

B A

CAMAS MEADOWS GOLF COURSE

5PM 7PMJourney out to Camas for a evening network-ing event on the beau- ful grounds of Camas Meadows! $10/Mem-

ber, please RSVP.

5/21/14GVCC EVENT

S W

L NBEACHES RESTAURANT7:30AM 10AMThe best morning

networking in Clark County! Get a chance

to speak and con-nect via small group

breakout sessions. Sponsored by: KRIS

GREENE!

5/29/14GVCC EVENTB AS H

STEAKBURGER FAREWELL5PM 7PM

The en re com-munity is invited to

Steakburger on HWY 99 to the famous

golf-o-rama course for a big party to

celebrate their history and future! Panera

Bread will be on site! SPONSORED BY MAJ

DEVELOPMENT!

6/4/14GVCC EVENT

S W

L NBEACHES RESTAURANT7:30AM 10AM

Get a chance to speak and connect via small group breakout ses-sions. Sponsored by

Aevum Images.

6/11/14GVCC EVENTT R

NESD #112 ROOM7:30 9AM

Please see to vancou-verusa.com for event

details. !

6/12/14GVCC EVENT

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR:PLEASE CHECK EVENT WEBSITES FOR FEES AND RSVP REQUIREMENTS

gvcc MEMbERS CAN POST

EVENTS FOR FREE

CHAMBERNews

T A G T

LEWIS RIVER7:30AM

REGISTRATIONThis is the Chamber’s BIGGEST event of the

year! We promise there will be plenty of

clowning around! SPONSORED BY:

COLUMBIA BANK

6/13/14MEMBER EVENT

N 4 N

GVCC OFFICE 9:30AM 11:30AMTips on making the

most out of network-ing events! Hosted by DIY Marke ng Center

6/24/14GVCC EVENT

B A H

PACIFIC RIM EXTERIORS5PM 7PM

Pacifi c Rim Exteriors will host this BAH event at Cellar 55

Tas ng Room; and, have a ceremonial rib-bon cu ng as a new

Chamber Member and business in Vancouver!

GVCC

MEMBER

FEATURE

All Members of the GVCC can log onto their “Member Account” and post events rela ng to their businesses! It’s free and easy. All you need is your login email and password. If you’ve forgo en yours please email yourchamber@vancouverusa.com and we’ll resend it to you!