Southwest Washington Took the National Stage in Washington, D.C.

On Constitution Day, the Greater Vancouver Chamber was invited to bring the business and employer perspective to Civics at Work: The Skills for America’s Future, a national forum hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and College Board.

Our Chief Operating Officer, Janet Kenefsky, joined Microsoft’s Dave Leichtman on stage for Civics at Work: Lessons from the Field - part of a national conversation that included Khan Academy founder Sal Khan, former members of Congress, and leaders from business, government and education.

And the message from Southwest Washington was clear: civics is a workforce issue.

Critical thinking. Communication. Collaboration. Problem-solving. Decision-making. These are civic skills, and they are the same skills employers need in the workplace.

We are proud that the Greater Vancouver Chamber had the opportunity to represent our region and the business community in this national conversation - and even more excited about what we bring home to Southwest Washington.

Our region belongs in these conversations. And we intend to keep showing up.