The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber (TPCC) is excited to announce the outstanding businesses and organizations who are the recipients of a 2024 Spotlight on Business Awards. Honorees are celebrated across five categories, highlighting contributions to economic vitality, community engagement, and inclusivity in the South Sound. 

“We’re honored to spotlight businesses and organizations that drive progress in Tacoma and Pierce County,” said Andrea Reay, President and Chief Executive Officer, TPCC. “This year’s winners exemplify the values of our community, and their dedication inspires us all to build a brighter future.” 

This year’s winners are: 

• Business Champion: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium 

• Small Business Champion: Downtown Tacoma Partnership 

• Non-Profit Impact: Mi Centro 

• Business Supporter of the Military: Buffalo Soldiers Museum 

• Women-Owned Business Excellence: Maxwell Synové Photography 

The Chamber’s Spotlight on Business Awards underscores its commitment to fostering a thriving business environment that uplifts diverse and resilient enterprises in the South Sound. Nominees for the Spotlight on Business Awards were submitted by businesses and community members, underscoring the collaborative spirit that defines the Chamber’s work. To be eligible, businesses must be active members of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber. For more information on eligibility and nominees, please visit our past blog. 

• 2024 Annual Impact Report Reveal: The 2024 Annual Impact Report showcased significant achievements, including support for 174 small businesses through business accelerators, over $250,000 invested in local businesses through KIVA loans, and nearly 2,000 hours of technical service to members. Read the full report here. 

• Two New Scholarship Programs: The Chamber is announcing two new scholarships honoring distinguished staff members. 
  The “Janice Hutchins Stronger Together Membership Scholarship” celebrates Janice Hutchins’ 45 years of service, supporting new members and exemplifying her commitment to the community as the Chamber’s Customer Experience Specialist. 
  The “David Schroedel Leadership and Advocacy Candidates Academy Scholarship” celebrates David Schroedel, Executive Vice President, TPCC, and Executive Director, Downtown Tacoma Partnership. This scholarship promotes civic engagement among emerging leaders, reflecting Schroedel’s dedication to advancing local business interests. 
• Rebrand Reveal: The Chamber is announcing a new brand identity, emphasizing its role as a “Member Powered” organization. The new branding reflects the Chamber’s 140-year legacy of supporting South Sound businesses while adapting to meet future needs while fostering economic vitality. More information and the new visual identity will be rolled out across its properties and programs in the days ahead. 

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“We are member-driven and future-focused,” said Reay. “Our new visual identity represents the power of collaboration and the commitment to help every person and business in our community flourish.” 

The evening concluded with a networking reception, offering attendees the opportunity to connect and celebrate the Chamber’s ongoing contributions to Tacoma’s growth.

Tacoma and Pierce County’s business leaders, Chamber leadership, and team members from the Downtown Tacoma Partnership and Spaceworks visited New Mexico to engage with Sante Fe officials, discovering how the creative economy helps fuel the city’s tourism, business development, and furthers its community.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber embarked on its fifth annual intercity visit and leadership conference, Aspire. Its purpose is to explore new programs and initiatives in another great American city, giving us a chance to learn, discover, and adapt with the best practices to meet the growing needs of the South Sound.
 
A rich history, diverse culture, and art make Santa Fe a world-class destination. Two to three million visitors flock to this uncommon city each year. The community characteristics and assorted economic industries, such as the arts, technology, tourism, and innovative business, are what make Santa Fe a great place to live, work, and play. During Aspire we met with local elected officials, business owners, film artisans, opera and theatre producers, and more to get a better sense and stronger perspective of what we can take home from the Southwest to the Northwest.

Cultural Dialogue Fosters Creative Solutions

​​We had an opportunity to visit the Poeh Cultural Center, a nonprofit dedicated to providing a gathering place for the respectful sustainment of Tewa Pueblo traditions through being, doing, and sharing in connection with the Pueblo of Pojoaque. The Pueblo of Pojoaque is one of the six Northern Tewa-speaking Rio Grande Pueblos, and has been inhabited as early as 500 AD with a strong cultural identity and acknowledgement as “Po-suwae-geh,” the water drinking or gathering space. Attendees had an opportunity to discuss with the Mayor of Santa Fe, Allan Webber, the crucial challenges of bringing diverse perspectives to the table to find solutions.
 
Santa Fe is the second largest art market in the U.S. and home to several large anchoring arts organizations, such as the Santa Fe Opera.  It also serves smaller performance organizations, such as the Santa Fe Playhouse, while welcoming film production companies. We toured Camel Rock Studios, heard from Mayor Webber, met with local businesses, and much more. From these unique interactions we took away several key takeaways.

Revitalizing Public and Private Space Anchors Businesses and Supports Artists

​​When we center investment on how to increase interaction, we can deliver on positive intention that attracts interest – in the form of tourism and business development – and anchors those spaces for the community to flourish. In Sante Fe, the Tesuque Pueblo Film and industry executives partnered to reimagine a closed casino as a hub for creativity and the moving image. The casino space was reborn as a state-of-the-art film production studio bringing in revenue for the Pueblo people and the surrounding community. The studio currently employs more than 800 people, and it engages in the local economy that supports its needs during production periods.
 
Separately, local artists came together to revitalize a shuttered bowling alley to create Meow Wolf Sante Fe, an immersive arts experience that brings in over 750,000 visitors annually. The interactive installation features over 70 rooms designed and curated by local and community artists while exemplifying Meow Wolf’s values of creative collaboration, provocative playfulness, welcoming outsiders, authentic compassion, and audacious courage. Meow Wolf began in Sante Fe and has blossomed into a multi-city immersive arts experience with homes in Houston and Grapevine, Texas; Denver, Colorado; and Las Vegas, Nevada. Today, Meow Wolf has an estimated revenue of $267.1 million annually, employing over 900 individuals, and grew its staff by 21% in the last year.

Public-Private Partnerships Take Time to Be Successful

​When the city of Sante Fe wanted to invest in revitalizing an underutilized railyard, they chose to partner with a non-profit that could help leverage the full scope of resources that existed within the community. The process of its development spanned several years with the initial approval for a lease and management contract issued in 2002. The initial phase of development began with archaeological investigations in 2004, followed by the commencement of infrastructure construction in 2006.
 
The Sante Fe Railyard’s grand opening in 2008 marked not only a milestone event. It celebrated the revitalization of one of the city’s historic sites. With the full power of the community, it was able to open a 50-acre, city-owned parcel that is now home to over 150 housing units and fully leased commercial spaces that are dedicated to local businesses. The Railyard also serves as an epicenter for local events, restaurants, live entertainment, gallery-openings, shopping destinations, artist talks, and a year-round farmer’s market. 

Conclusion

​The Aspire 2024 conference in Santa Fe highlights the transformative power of community-driven initiatives and creative economies in urban development. Tacoma's leaders gleaned valuable insights from Santa Fe's experiences, particularly in revitalizing public and private spaces to foster economic growth and cultural engagement. By centering the importance of investment around community interaction, the effectiveness of public-private partnerships, and the role of local artists in rejuvenating spaces for tourism and business, the city of Sante Fe has set a standard as to how Tacoma can adapt and innovate, ultimately enhancing the South Sound's own creative landscape and community vitality. By embracing these principles, Tacoma can cultivate an environment where both businesses and the arts thrive, ensuring a vibrant future for all residents.