Business Fourum Lunch to focus on Leadership Grays Harbor

Greater Grays Harbor Inc.’s June Business Forum Lunch will celebrate the accomplishments of the Leadership Grays Harbor graduating class of 2019. The event will take place on Tuesday, June 25, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Rotary Log Pavilion, located at 1401 Sargent Blvd in Aberdeen.

Since 2016, GGHI has proudly partnered with Grays Harbor College to deliver the Leadership Grays Harbor curriculum. This six-month course provides participants with civic and professional development instruction based on key leadership principles. The curriculum is experience-based and explores many topics and issues affecting our community through a series of meetings with established leaders, individual projects, site visits and a group community service project.

Participants graduating from the course leave with knowledge on how to make a positive impact in their community, within their professions and in their personal lives while building and developing their professional network. Since its inception, Leadership Grays Harbor has produced nearly 500 graduates, including local business owners, nonprofits and government employees. During the luncheon, GGHI will recognize, honor and learn more about the 23 graduates of the Leadership Class of 2019.

Lunch is included in the $20 cost for members of GGHI and $25 for non-members. Please RSVP no later than Wednesday, June 19, by calling GGHI at (360) 532-7888 or emailing Candie Gleason at candie@graysharbor.org.

PUD makes final connections for East County Fiber project

Improved telecommunications services and cooperation between the Grays Harbor PUD, local schools and businesses and the Washington State Legislature were recognized on Thursday as the PUD made some of the final connections to the East County Fiber project.

“This is a big deal for the community and the Grays Harbor PUD” said PUD Core Services Director Rob Hanny. “In addition to providing options for new services and new service providers in the community, this project will improve the availability of broadband services for the Elma and Satsop school districts and businesses. This project also provides the potential for providing additional connectivity to Mason County and the I-5 corridor.”

The $463,000 project was funded through a portion of the 2017-19 Capital Budget. State Rep. Mike Chapman sponsored the request and, along with Rep. Steve Tharinger and Senator Kevin Van De Wege, helped guide the request through the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions. The funding allowed the PUD to cover the cost of materials and crew hours needed to string over five miles of fiber optic cable and other infrastructure to make connections to local businesses and school district facilities.

Tharinger and Chapman took part in Thursday’s ceremony at Elma Elementary School, congratulating the PUD for its leadership in telecommunications expansion in southwest Washington and trying its hand at splicing and connecting some of the final fiber strands.