New Hispanic chamber formed

By Rolf Boone | The Olympian • Published June 07, 2008

OLYMPIA – A new organization is expected to be launched this month to serve the interests of the South Sound Hispanic business community.

The organization is the Olympia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which will have its first meeting in west Olympia on June 19, the group announced Friday.

"Olympia is a major area of commerce with many Hispanic and Latino business individuals," said Dante Montoya of the Tri Cities, executive director of the Washington State Latino Business Chambers of Commerce.

Montoya's group is helping to organize the new chamber of commerce, he said.

"We felt this was an area that needed assistance and would be an area of opportunity," Montoya said about South Sound.

At the June 19 meeting, the chamber will adopt bylaws, elect officers and begin adding members, he said.

Once the new chamber has been formed, it will be one of 12 around the state, Montoya said.

Other counties that have Hispanic chambers of commerce include King, Snohomish and Pierce, he said.

The Pierce County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce got its start about 18 months ago, president Edward Gonzales said Friday. Today, the group has more than 100 members, he said.

Montoya expects six to 10 people to show up for the first meeting in Olympia.

"It's a start," he said. "Our country started with a small group of people and many organizations start this way."

There has been another Hispanic chamber in the county, known as the South Puget Sound Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said David Schaffert, president and chief executive of the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce. But Schaffert said he had lost track of it.

Schaffert said he welcomes the arrival of the new group.

"We'd be happy to engage and support them in any way they would like us to," he said.

Rolf Boone is a business reporter for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5403 or rboone@theolympian.com.