The Wallingford branch of Seattle Bank recently received the 2012 Wallingford Chamber of Commerce’s “Outstanding Service to the Community by a Business” award, thanks, largely, to the tireless efforts of Community Banker, Debbi Larson.
Since 2009, Larson has been active in the Wallingford Chamber to help promote businesses within the neighborhood. She founded and chairs the ever-popular “Cheers to Wallingford” business expo, which is now headed into its third year. The business expo gives a boost to businesses with additional exposure to the community, and it serves as a unique medium to drive Chamber membership.
Larson was also one of four Chamber members who received the Presidents Award in 2010 for their collective assistance and active participation; and in 2011 Larson, herself, received the award again when she served as Treasurer, working closely with Chamber President Colleen Kurke.
This year, Larson begins her two-year term as President of the Wallingford Chamber. In addition to the Chamber events planned throughout the year, she’ll be serving to fill the void left by the recently-closed Wallingford Neighborhood Office by co-hosting the Wallingford Kiddie Parade in July, as well as the Summer Festival.
Larson tells us the Wallingford Chamber has been awarded 2 non-monetary grants from Impact Capital and the Office of Economic Development’s “Only in Seattle Initiative”. “The first one,” she writes, “is for ‘Consultation for Organizational Capacity Building and District Vision Creation’, and the second one is ‘Consultation Support for BIA Creation, Modification or Basics of BIA’s (Business Improvement Area)'”. “We are very excited to have help from the city and will start meetings soon,” Larson adds.
Last but certainly not least, Larson has been working with Amy Springer (from Wallingford Center) and Jessica Vets (from Fremont Chamber) on the Safe Communities program through the Seattle Police Department. She’ll be hosting monthly meetings at Seattle Bank in Wallingford to address Police oversight and feedback from the public on how the City is dealing with safety and crime issues. Anyone is welcome to attend.
The Wallingford Chamber is always looking for new members and volunteers to help run the neighborhood events. “We have a lot of work to do for the Expo, Kiddie Parade and Summer Festival, as well as our end of year Auction, to happen, so we need many volunteers to help us,” Larson writes. “We are working together with other Chambers to make the expo a ‘multi-chamber’ event. Other Wallingford organizations are working with us on the Kiddie Parade and Summer Festival, primarily the Wallingford Community Senior Center, and we welcome others to join us.”
“My continued goal is to work together with our many Wallingford organizations to make Wallingford a great place,” Larson adds. “We are including the other organizations in our meetings with the city regarding our grants. We are all part of the same team with the same goals for Wallingford.”
Does anyone know what is going on with Kitaro Bento Sushi? I really miss them and it looks like nothing has happened at all since the fire a year or more ago.
Any news?
I haven’t seen or heard any news yet.
I am really looking forward to seeing what Debbi creates for the neighborhood. She is an organized woman who implements what she says she is going to do. I see great things happening for the neighborhood of Wallingford with her as President! Thank you for stepping up and filling such a huge role Debbi. You are going to be such an asset to Wallingford’s community!