Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 3, March 2003

Copyright 2003 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Seattle Sun as your source.

Meet this year's chamber leaders

By MATTHEW PREUSCH

Several neighborhood chambers of commerce in North Seattle welcomed new leaders this year. Others have leaders whose terms have began or continued from last year. The following is an overview of who they are:

Fremont Chamber

In the 1980s, when new Fremont Chamber of Commerce president Marko Tubic was still working his way up at REI, he witnessed his father's south Milwaukee neighborhood slide into economic and civic tumult.

So when he moved to Fremont four years ago, Tubic decided he would work to keep his new neighborhood, which was in the midst of a mini-boom, from experiencing a similar fate.

"I look at the development in Fremont it has its pros and cons. But I'd much rather work with the development of a neighborhood that's in an expansion mode than work with the issues of a neighborhood that's in economic decline," said Tubic, 41, an investment representative with Edward Jones. "It's just amazing in my opinion how rapidly a community can dissolve in a negative direction."

To that end, Tubic is hoping the expand the chamber's membership and ensure that Oktoberfest, the group's main fundraiser, continues to be a success.

Meets monthly third Wednesday.

Info: 632-1500.

University Chamber

Greater University Chamber of Commerce president Shannon Gary Moore is a relative newcomer to the University District, but not to the Northwest. Born and raised in Oregon, she has spent the last two decades in Seattle with Wells Fargo. She's been an officer with the chamber for the last four of those.

The chamber's focus is still on completing street repairs on University Way. But, she said, there's plenty of work to do elsewhere as well.

"The Ave Project is really the springboard of the revitalization," she said, "That's just one part of a revitalization plan for the University District."

Meets monthly third Tuesday.

Info: 547-4417

Wallingford Chamber

Tracy Allison is adding Wallingford Chamber of Commerce president to her already long list of titles, which currently includes Realtor and visual artist. Allison, 37, and her husband, Bob, bought their Wallingford home just three years ago; this is her first time being involved with a chamber.

Allison has been involved with the Fremont Art Council (she paints under the name Tracy Hennessy) and the Business and Professional Women of America.

As chamber president, she is hoping to bring some "hip and fresh" ideas to the neighborhood, as well as work to keep the cost of operating a small business down.

"The cost of doing business is pretty expensive so we try to make it as fruitful as possible," she said.

Meets monthly third Thursday.

Info: 632-0645

Ballard Chamber

Scott Clark, of Clark Design Group, is the new president at the Ballard Chamber of Commerce. He's a Ballard resident, and has been active in the chamber for eight years. His family has been in Seattle for 28 years.

Meets monthly first Wednesday.

784-9705

Aurora Avenue Merchants

Returning for yet another year at the helm of the Aurora Avenue Merchants Association is Faye Garneau, who has been in business on Aurora for 35 years. The association's attention continues to be consumed by the state's plans to reconfigure Aurora, also known as State Route 99.

"They expect to have the final plan out about February or March, and we'll have our lawyers take a look," said Garneau, "We have an exodus of some of the merchants who are starting to get worried about (losing) parking."

Meets monthly second Tuesday.

Info: 526-1366.

Greenwood-Phinney Chamber

Jeanne Barwick is starting her second year as president of the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce. Barwick, the owner of Mae's Cafe on Phinney Ridge since 1988, is hoping to get more small businesses like her own involved in the chamber's activities.

"As a chamber that is here to promote and support the businesses in the Greenwood-Phinney neighborhood, our challenge is to get them to be involved with us," she said.

Meets monthly first Thursday.

Info: 789-1148.

Lake City Chamber

Dan Glafke, the longtime general manager at American Lease in Lake City, recently succeeded Imogene Inglet of Arts N' Flowers, as president of the Greater Lake City Chamber of Commerce. Glafke said his highest priority is stimulating more involvement from the chamber's member businesses, both at luncheons and in recruiting prospective new members. "For the chamber to be a success, [members] must attend and be involved," Glafke wrote in the chamber's January newsletter.

Meets monthly third Thursday.

Info: 363-3287

Northgate Chamber

Scott Greer is beginning his first full year as chairman of the Northgate Chamber of Commerce, after volunteering last spring. "Our primary goal is to foster an environment in which our businesses will flourish," said Greer of the group, which was formed as a steering committee in 2000. He said the chamber is focused on promoting member businesses and creating a thriving business district in the Northgate area. Greer is a manager at the Seattle Athletic Club.

Meets third Wednesday, various months.

Info: 522-9400.