The annual meeting is back

from February 2023 Business Connection

by Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce

Watch for Galentines and Shamrock Saturday

After a two-year hiatus the Cowlitz Economic Development Council (CEDC) is bringing back its annual meeting. The last annual meeting took place on March 10, 2020, and it featured a keynote presentation by the former Employment Security Department Commissioner Suzi LeVine. Commissioner Levine’s job and all our lives were about to take a drastic turn! By that time COVID was on everyone’s mind and we were not entirely sure we could even hold the event. Thankfully we pulled off an excellent lunch meeting with more than 275 community leaders in the room. It was the last large event I was able to attend as the governor’s stay-home order came into effect March 23, 2020.

The 2022 annual meeting will take place at the Cowlitz Expo and Event Center February 28 from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and will feature three of the largest capital investment and job creating projects either just completed or being permitted in Cowlitz County. We will hear from three local projects to share their plans – NORPAC, WestRock and the Landing on the Cowlitz project. Combined the projects will represent more than $150 million in capital investment and conservatively will create over 750 jobs. This will be a fun and engaging event and I hope you will join us.

The CEDC annual meeting is the only fundraiser the CEDC puts on during the year. Sponsorship and attendance are critical to make this a success.

We would appreciate having your company become a sponsor of the event and the sooner you sponsor, the more exposure your company will get. We are appreciative of the companies that became sponsors as soon as the meeting was announced – Gibbs & Olson, PeaceHealth, NORPAC, Port of Kalama and Ecological Land Service. Seats are already beginning to fill up so please do not delay on sponsoring and RSVPing.

You do not have to be a current CEDC member to join us at the meeting. Please share this information so more people can learn what the CEDC does and learn about these excellent projects taking place in Cowlitz County. It is easy to RSVP or sponsor, simply go to www.cowlitzedc.com/join-us/

Spring Series starts Friday, March 3

Friday Mornings ★ 7:30 am - 9 am