Seattle Southside Chamber pitches regional partnerships and small-business support to Des Moines Council

Representatives from the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce presented to the City Council on regional business support programs and local partnership opportunities.

Samantha Lay, president and CEO, said the chamber connects businesses across five cities to statewide and federal opportunities, supports small-business assistance contracts and runs events and workforce initiatives. She said the chamber supported 3,396 businesses in 2025, engaged more than 10,000 participants and maintained an approximately $750,000 operating budget. Kevin Dunn and other board members described local small-business roundtables held in Des Moines and upcoming events, and said chamber lobbying in Olympia benefits local business interests.

Chamber members offered to provide informational flyers to the city and to follow up with staff to explore deeper partnership options, including upcoming roundtables and an awards event.

Why it matters: The presentation signaled potential services and programs the city could leverage without creating new municipal capacity, from workforce and small-business outreach to grants distribution and legislative advocacy.