business backgrounder | economy
While the endeavor is still in its
infancy, feedback from Grassroots
Alliance members suggests things are
off to a good start.
Mattson said she is taking full
advantage of the partnership to better
educate her membership on the
impacts of legislation being discussed
in Olympia.
“Our Government and Economic
Affairs Director participated in each
of the conference calls and is receiving up-to-date information through
the Alliance,” Mattson said. “Access to
timely information is extremely valuAWB Government Affairs Director Sheri Nelson talks with Grassroots Alliance member
able to us since the Legislature can
Shiloh Schauer, executive director of the Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce.
One of the benefits of being part of the Grassroots Alliance is the ability to tap into
move very quickly and we need to be
the expertise of AWB’s government affairs staff.
prepared to act.”
As one of nine Grassroots Alliance
members that participated in Senate Transportation
“The relationship between AWB and local chambers of
Committee public hearing in February, Mattson said that
commerce has always been strong,” Johnson said. “But it
testifying with AWB in support of the transportation
was clear as we looked ahead to the 2015 legislative session
funding package was one of the highlights of the session.
and the issues that would be debated, there was a clear
It is this type of responsiveness and teamwork AWB
need to be unified in a way we have not been historically.”
hoped would be fostered by the formalized network.
As the idea picked up speed last summer, Johnson
tapped Hadley to be the lead architect for the new
Grassroots Alliance.
banding together
empowers leaders, communities
Hadley began the process last fall by meeting with chamber
leaders throughout the state to build the foundation for
the Alliance.
“Chambers of commerce are important assets,” Hadley
said. “With the early support I received from chamber
executives on the concept of an active grassroots network,
it was clear we had the momentum to propel the idea for
the Alliance to action by the start of the legislative session.”
Hadley’s efforts immediately generated the support of
34 chambers of commerce. Eight more chambers later
followed suit, making the Alliance 42 strong by April.
As the framework for the Alliance began to take shape,
more than 200 Washington chambers were surveyed to determine their top three issues for the 2015 legislative session.
They chose: education and workforce development, transportation infrastructure investments and the minimum wage.
The group then agreed on communications tools and a
structure that allowed for sharing of detailed information and
issue updates to best leverage the knowledge and experience
of the AWB staff and the on-the-ground perspectives and
needs of local chambers.
“Through the Grassroots Alliance, our chamber has
access to timely information and resources that help
us be more successful advocates for our membership.”
— Lori Mattson, president and CEO of the Tri-City
Regional Chamber of Commerce
“As partners, both the chambers and AWB play a role in
assisting each other,” said Stephanie Hamilton, executive
director for the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce. “Our
chamber knows that with the current business climate in
Washington state, we need to band together to ensure the
health of our small-business owners.”
success rides on sharing information
The cornerstone of the Grassroots Alliance is keeping the
dialogue open and information flowing through social
media tools, issue briefs, conference calls each Friday,
emails and calls to action on legislative issues.
The two-way dialogue is yielding results for both AWB
and the chamber partners.
“Through the Grassroots Alliance, our chamber has
access to timely information and resources that help us be
more successful advocates for our members,” Mattson said.
spring 2015 35