Commerce to host open house at new Kennewick hub office Monday, Oct. 17
Kennewick Tri-City location launches “headquarters and hubs” model for increasing agency presence and access in communities across the state
OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce will host an open house on Monday, Oct. 17 from 3 to 5 p.m., welcoming the public to its first regional hub office located in the Tri-Cities Business Center at 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd. in Kennewick. The agency is leasing space from the Tri-City Development Council (TRIDEC) where it will have several reservable and drop-in workspaces for staff and access to meeting rooms.
The Washington State Department of Commerce Kennewick Tri-City hub office is co-located with TRIDEC in the Tri-Cities Business Center on Grandridge Boulevard.
Commerce works with local governments, businesses, community-based organizations and tribes to strengthen communities. The department’s diverse portfolio of more than 100 programs, and effective leverage of public and private partnerships promote sustainable community and economic development throughout the state.
Connections within local communities are crucial to Commerce’s success and the new Kennewick Tri-City hub promotes the fact that most staff members are able to work from anywhere in Washington state.
“Like so many organizations, the pandemic forced us to reinvent how and where we work,” said Commerce Director Lisa Brown. “We’ve always been an agile, creative agency focused on exceptional service, as well as being an employer of choice – a rewarding place to work.”
Commerce maintains a headquarters office in Olympia and small field offices in Seattle and Spokane. After adjusting to remote work during the pandemic, agency leadership moved to downsize the Olympia office space by about half, and adopted a plan to identify potential regional hub offices. The goal is to increase Commerce’s community presence but also improve its ability to recruit talent from a broader statewide pool.
Commerce currently has 511 employees, about 88 % of whom are full or part-time remote workers. Olympia is the duty station for 318 staff, with another 63 based in Seattle and 33 in Spokane field offices. About 10 Commerce staff currently live and work in the Central Washington region that will be served by the Kennewick Tri-City hub.
Director Brown will deliver remarks at 4 p.m.. Members of the executive leadership team and staff will also be on hand to welcome and talk with guests at the Monday afternoon open house. Light refreshments are planned.
To learn more about career opportunities with Commerce visit https://www.commerce.wa.gov/about-us/jobs-at-commerce/.
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