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Organizers call Lacey's first regional DEI summit a success; youth panel and interjurisdictional follow-up planned
Summary
Organizers and commissioners described the inaugural Thurston-area Diversity, Equity and Inclusion summit as well-attended and positively received. The event drew roughly 270 attendees, featured a youth panel and keynote speaker Erin Jones, produced strong interest in follow-up collaboration and secured a venue for next year on April 8 at SPSCC.
Organizers reported that the first regional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion summit for Thurston County achieved its goals of building shared understanding and encouraging collaborative action among jurisdictions, community groups and residents.
"The event was very successful. The environment, the atmosphere was of trust and joy and collaboration," organizer Veronica said in a post-event summary. She told commissioners the planning team recorded more than 200 confirmations and roughly 270 participants when walk-ins were included.
Key elements that participants praised included a youth panel, a keynote address by Erin Jones, and midday breakout workshops. Planners said the youth panel — which several commissioners highlighted as setting the tone for the day — drew strong praise for candid personal testimony and intergenerational dialogue. Survey results showed high willingness among attendees to recommend the summit and to volunteer or sponsor future events.
Organizers identified four principal takeaways from the surveys: overwhelmingly positive feedback on purpose and content; participants felt inspired and ready for action; the youth panel and intergenerational dialogue were highly valued; and strong interest exists in future collaboration, volunteering and sponsorship. Veronica said the planning team has already reserved the SPSCC campus for the next summit on April 8 and will continue follow-up on data and organizer feedback.
Commissioners who helped organize or attend recommended several refinements for future events, including longer breakout sessions (90 minutes was suggested where deeper discussion is needed), fewer concurrent afternoon sessions to reduce noise and overlap, and greater use of digital tools to record and transmit workshop notes. Commissioners also noted the value of making the event free to remove financial barriers to attendance.
The summit generated additional interjurisdictional momentum: participants requested a follow-up workshop among regional municipal equity partners; staff indicated a September meeting is being planned to continue coordination. Organizers will compile survey and facilitator notes and return to the commission with a full post-event report.
Ending: Commissioners praised staff and volunteers for a well-executed inaugural summit and urged planners to carry lessons learned into next year's event, expand outreach to younger adults and formalize follow-up collaborations across county jurisdictions.
