Open Letter from our Executive Board

An open letter to our Community 

February 8, 2021 

The Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce strives to support, inform, and advocate for our regional business community. The majority of our members are small locally owned and operated businesses who are the backbone of our economy, and have been hit hard by the pandemic. 

Local governments are important partners in our work, and we need local leaders to practice transparent non-partisan governance, and best business practices to stabilize and recover our economy. Instability impacts our business community, and is doing damage to the reputation of our community. 

Hundreds of phone calls, emails and letters have poured into our offices from deeply concerned citizens, customers, and business owners. Folks who have decided not to retire here, shop here, or even visit because of concerns about recent events. The Chamber emphatically stands behind our small businesses – they need our support as they weather the economic storm, not punishment. 

Sequim is not alone in grappling with these issues - Thomas J. Donohue, CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, recently issued the following statement: “We call on all elected officials across the country and at every level of government to promote calm in their communities... we pledge to work with our network of state and local chambers, our members and partners, and our government to eradicate the pandemic, and reignite our economy...” 

We are committed to listening, learning and improving ourselves, and ask our City Government and local leaders to join us in the work to reconcile the divisions in our society, and be better for ALL of our citizens. This the time to pull together as a community. 

This statement was affirmed by our Executive Board of Directors on behalf of our membership.