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Thurston County marks Women’s History Month with proclamation and presentations from local women‑owned businesses and civic groups
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners issued a proclamation for Women’s History Month and heard presentations from the Washington Center for Women in Business, the League of Women Voters and the Olympia Chorus, along with several local entrepreneurs and nonprofit representatives.
Thurston County commissioners issued a proclamation declaring March 2025 as Women’s History Month and recessed the formal business meeting for a short program that included presentations from local women‑owned businesses and civic groups.
Ellen Massey, Central Services management analyst, introduced Ashley Whitley, program manager for the Washington Center for Women in Business, who described the center’s 2024 activities in Thurston County and statewide. Whitley said the center provided one‑on‑one coaching across 13 counties, helped 63 businesses in Thurston County and assisted with roughly 60 business plans in the prior year. She described programs including ecommerce cohorts, pop‑up markets and scholarship opportunities for Tumwater, Lacey and Olympia residents.
Whitley introduced five clients who briefed commissioners about their businesses: Wild Kind Outdoors (Jess Caldwell), Jelly’s Kitchen (Angelica), Balanced Being (Kim Nadeau), Restart the Hard CPR (Samantha) and Whispering Wood Designs (Patty Mitchell and Dr. Cindy Peterson). Presenters described business services ranging from nature‑based education to pastry and artisan woodwork, and noted events such as the Inspire pop‑up markets and an upcoming Inspire Women’s Business Conference with more than 500 expected attendees.
The board also heard from Angela Jefferson of the League of Women Voters, who described the organization’s nonpartisan civic work, voter registration and civics education and read a statement calling for defense of democratic institutions. Margaret Eby, director of the Olympia Chorus, gave a short presentation about the chorus’s 60th anniversary and its challenges as a nonprofit music group.
Following the presentations, commissioners read and adopted a proclamation recognizing Women’s History Month. Commissioners recessed the meeting for a musical performance by the Olympia Chorus and a short reception before returning to business.
