The Greater Eatonville Chamber of Commerce is in a process to develop its ‘Strategic Plan’.

Strategic planning is a tool that groups, organizations, and agencies use to: systematically assess who they are; identify the most critical goals and objectives they are trying to achieve; and to then concentrate their resources on those activities in a very deliberate and focused manner. This information is to keep you informed about the progress and to provide you with opportunities to review and comment on draft documents as they are produced.

Please review our draft Vision, Mission and Values statements while we work on Goals, Objectives and Actions.

Project Organization and Timeline

A planning committee has been organized that will be meeting approximately once a month from January to September, 2007, to produce the plan. During this time the planning committee will develop the following documents:

1. Vision Statement: What is the Chamber of Commerce trying to accomplish?

2. Values Statement: How does the Chamber conduct itself as it goes about its business?

3. Mission Statement: What is the Chambers’ role in accomplishing the vision?

4. Goals: What are the primary goals that have to be accomplished to achieve the vision?

5. Objectives: For each goal, what objectives must be accomplished to achieve the goal?

6. Actions: What are the specific, individual actions that must be taken to accomplish each objective?

7. Annual Work Plans: Develop one, three, and five year work plans to accomplish the actions.

8. Measures: How is the Chamber going to judge whether or not they have achieved results?

Outreach and Public Involvement

Every effort will be made during the planning process to keep people informed about the progress of the project and to give people the opportunity to review and comment on draft documents as they are prepared. This will be accomplished in the following ways:

1. Status reports will be provided to the Chamber of Commerce each month at the general meeting.

2. Periodic email updates will be prepared and distributed to a stakeholder mailing list providing information and giving people the opportunity to review and comment on draft documents as they are prepared.

3. In mid-summer a public meeting will be held to release the full draft plan for a formal public review period.

At that time the Chamber will present a powerpoint presentation about the draft plan. This will also mark the availability of the draft plan for public review during a specified comment period.

Planning Committee

Members of the planning committee are:

Rick Bertoia--Judy East--Margaret Franich--David Hymel--Nancy Iams

Steve Pruitt--Tom Smallwood--Jackie Sparrow

Mount Rainier National Park is providing technical assistance in organizing and facilitating the project. This assistance is being provided by Bryan Bowden, Community Planner at Mount Rainier National Park.

Questions/Information

If you are not on the email distribution list and would like to be, please contact David Hymel at (360) 832-8148 or info@eatonvillechamber.com

Create a permanent, sustainable, comprehensive, and inclusive community-based planning and governing process for “Greater Eatonville” (The geographical area encompassed by the Eatonville School District. See map below) based on a “big picture” vision for the year 2020.

Objective 1:

Nurture the creation of a permanent stakeholder organization (existing or created) as the process facilitator and “keeper of the big vision”.

Actions:

• Identify stakeholders

• Prepare a ‘white paper’ explaining preliminary ideas for the organization

• Invite participants to become part of a new organization

• Jointly develop an organizational structure and process

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Objective 2:

Develop and publish the “big picture” 2020 vision for the Greater Eatonville region through an inclusive and collaborative planning process.

Actions:

Convene a visioning session intended to analyze and meld the past and current planning efforts of the Ashford, Eatonville, Ohop, and Tanwax neighborhoods.

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Objective 3:

Keep the “big picture” vision in the forefront as all public and private stakeholders develop future plans and actions.

Actions:

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Objective 4:

Develop, practice, and model the concepts of “teamwork”, “partnering”, and “proactive change”.

Actions

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Promote a comprehensive continuing education program in partnership with business, industry, government, education, and community.

Objective l:

Offer a wide variety of learning opportunities on a wide array of subjects.

Actions:

• Encourage participation by offering learning opportunities in a variety of styles (e.g., seminars, conferences, classes, workshops, etc)

• Develop learning opportunities on the following subjects:

• Management

• Marketing

• Advertising

• Technology

• Motivational programs

• Customer service techniques

• Networking skills

• Decision making

• Ethics & social responsibility

Objective 2:

Develop a bridge from classroom to workplace for high school students.

(OR: Develop a partnership between schools, businesses and local government to provide practical, real-life, work and educational experiences)

Actions:

• Handicapped employment

• Mentorship/Job Shadowing

• Internships

• Develop high school curriculum on business education

• Etc

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Objective 3:

Establish a community college program in Eatonville.

• Facilities

• Training Center

• Etc

Support new business recruitment and current business sustainability in the Eatonville area.

(OR: Recruit new and support existing business.)

Objective l:

Provide business marketing, business plan creation, and financial consulting services for existing businesses and those entrepreneurs entering the local economy.

Actions:

• Mentor program

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Objective 2:

Maintain useful demographic information, business trends information and economic analyses of the rural regional economy.

Actions:

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Objective 3:

Market the Eatonville area and do outreach to recruit new businesses.

Actions:

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Objective 4:

Establish a ‘business trust’ with the ability to buy, hold and resell businesses in transition between owners.

Actions:

• Etc

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Develop and implement a regional economic strategy.

Objective 1:

Position the Eatonville Chamber of Commerce as the principal authority, leader, and supervisor of regional economic strategic planning and implementation.

Actions:

• Participate in key meeting

• Convener

• Control Information/Flow

• Source – flow of information

• Branding/messaging

• Presence/player

Objective 2:

Promote a healthy regional rural economy.

Actions:

• Actively participate in and support projects that implement downtown revitalization plan

• Internet marketing for local goods

• Inventory

• Local to local

• Arts

• Support rural transportation initiatives

• Environmental stewardship

• Health

• Agriculture (fish/forestry)

Objective 3:

Centralize services in Eatonville.

Actions:

• Establish a regional medical center.

• Etc

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Objective 4:

Support and strengthen existing industry.

Actions:

• …… cottage merchants…..

• ……service industries……

• ……tourism……

• Wi-Fi

• Search Engines – key words

• Eatonville website (knock out)

• Chamber website

Draft Vision Statement:

Eatonville is a community with a thriving local economy. It embraces local and sustainable industry, cottage merchants, and tourism. Eatonville maintains its heritage of agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries. Eatonville grows within sustainable limits, maintains its small town feel, protects its natural environment, and develops a harmonious community. Eatonville concentrates its services within the town to support a regional rural economy. It provides an economic structure that supports all-income and senior housing, local employment opportunities, education, and a comprehensive transportation system.

Brainstorming Items:

Draft Mission Statement:

The Greater Eatonville Chamber of Commerce facilitates a thriving, healthy economy. We recognize that stewarding the environment is essential to protecting the economy. The Chamber strives to serve businesses with information and education, umbrella services and leadership. The Chamber encourages broad participation among the community, local organizations, the Town of Eatonville, and other government agencies. The Chamber actively participates in the projects and and activities to communicate and further its objectives.

Brainstorming Items: