By ALLISON ESPIRITU
Snoqualmie Valley Record Reporter
Aug 31 2010, 1:08 PM · UPDATED

Moving into their third year, the Snoqualmie Valley Women in Business are achieving goals by leaps and bounds. The grassroots women’s organization has reached nearly 100 members since its inception in 2008. Women In Business unites professional women for the purpose of collaboration, community leadership and personal and professional growth. “Our goal this year was to increase our membership and our footprint in the Valley,” said Kim Arellano, president of Women in Business. Arellano grew up in the Valley. After venturing to the city and coming back home years later, she realized she wanted to be more involved with her community. Women in Business became the niche she was looking for, a way to make the connections she longed for.

Named president last year, Arellano said the job has been a lot of work. Women in Business members worked hard to build a foundation for the group, creating structure for ideas and networks. “We would get together and have these inventive ideas and we’d only have so much time,” Arellano said. This year, the organization developed many of these concepts through committees headed by 12 board members. Committees include business, membership, marketing and community.

Personal growth

Besides business and networking, the group also espouses growth and development at both a personal and a community level. Without personal growth, there’s no community growth, Arellano said. Such growth is interdependent, so the organization made sure that there was equal focus on development in each committee. Helping members’ businesses flourish, two businesses are drawn during monthly meetings for a five- or 10-minute presentation slot at the next month’s gathering.

“It gives you an opportunity to focus and share your business,” Arellano said

The organization is also a place to learn. Monthly speakers promote inspiration, business development and community involvement. The organization has brought in the likes of Helen Thayer, an author who worked for National Geographic and was the first woman to circumnavigate the North Pole, and Shari Storm, vice president and chief marketing officer at Verity Credit Union.

“We make sure that when we get speakers, they round out the three parts of our charter,” Arellano said. Giving credit to the organization’s growth to the opportunities, networking and shared interests, Arellano believes success also comes from the vibe of the meetings. “We welcome everybody to come in and we want them to be successful.”

• Snoqualmie Valley Women in Business meets at noon on the second Wednesday of each month at the Snoqualmie Ridge TPC golf course. For more information, visit svwib.com.

Snoqualmie Valley Record Reporter Allison Espiritu can be reached at aespiritu@valleyrecord,com or 425-888-2311.

Wednesday, Sept 8th
Snoqualmie Ridge TPC Golf Course
12:00-2:00PM
Prices:
$21 Members
$25 Non-Members/Guests
$30 After Sept 3rd
Please note that your payment is your RSVP

Register and Pay

Wednesday, August 11th
Boxley’s Place, North Bend: Get Directions
5:00pm – 7:00pm
Prices:
$21 Members
$25 Non-Members/Guests
$30 After August 6th
Please note that your payment is your RSVP

Register and Pay

Cost: $100* 3.3” x 3.3” Ad includes:

photo, 30-40 words,
business logo, address and
phone or email/website.
*Add $15 if we take the photo.
Photo, copy, logo, payment deadline is Friday, Sept. 17.
Call Michelle Comeau to reserve a place to promote you and your business!  425-392-6434, ext. 228
michellec@snovalleystar.com

Our speaker will be Seattle-area author, Shari Storm.  Storm penned her first book, Motherhood is the New MBA: Using Your Parenting Skills to Be a Better Boss.

Where: Boxley’s in North Bend
Time: 11:30 Networking, 12-2 luncheon
RSVP: your payment is your RSVP – use the Payment page

2010  Fall City Days Schedule of Events:

6:30 a.m. State Route 202 closure (324^th to Preston-Fall City Rd)

7 a.m. Mason’s annual pancake breakfast at the Masonic Hall

7:30 a.m. Fun Run day-of-race registration at OTQ Park

8:45 a.m. First call to Fun Run start line

9 a.m. Start of Fun Run race: 10K, 5K and 5K walk

9am-5pm Arts/crafts and food booths, pony rides, soft ride carnival

10:30am Fun Run awards and random prize drawing

11 a.m. Kiddie Parade

11:15am Main Parade

Noon 3 Point Shoot-Out

12:30-4:30 Historic Hop Shed tours at FC Comm. Park

Live Music by “The Jam Kings” at OTQ Park

1:30 pm Watermelon eating contest at OTQ Park

2:30pm Duck Derby Race begins on the Snoqualmie River

4 pm Winner announcements on parade stage

5 pm Town clean-up

6pm State Route 202 opens

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Volunteers needed to help with parade, watermelon eating contest, fun run and definitely the ducky derby race.  If anyone is interested in a specific event, please download the contact information sheet.

Our speaker will be author, speaker and adventurer, Helen Thayer. She will talk about her adventures featured in her book, Polar Dreams, and lessons that apply to reaching big goals.

Where: Boxley’s in North Bend
Time: 11:30 Networking, 12-2 luncheon
RSVP: your payment is your RSVP – use the Payment page

1. Go to: http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php

2. Choose your business type for the category, and enter your business name.

BE CAREFUL – YOU CANNOT CHANGE YOUR NAME OR BUSINESS TYPE AFTER THIS POINT.

Your business name and category can’t be edited later, although everything else can.

Download the complete Facebook How-To Guide here.

Where: Salish Lodge
When: 11:30 Meet and Greet, 12:00 Luncheon

Special Guest Presenter:
Christina Siderius
Deputy Communications Director for New Media
Office of Secretary of State

Click here to RSVP by paying