“This group really gets things done,” says Michael Jerrett, the new Executive Director for the Fremont Chamber of Commerce.  “My job is just getting people to come out and play.”

In October, the Chamber Board hired Michael to run our office, help us grow and, as with everything the Chamber does, help us help the neighborhood.  “It seems like a strong organization, but it could be stronger,” he says.

See Michael

Michael is a native Seattleite who grew up in the Northgate area and attended Ingram High School.  His wife is a native of Queen Anne and Michael has transplanted there very well, having found it to be a great place to raise their three children.

Michael started his work life as a professional painter for a large contracting company.  He didn’t shy from the hard work, but watching his children grow, he realized he needed more intellectual challenge, and he wanted to be a good role model for higher education for his kids.

Eventually Michael attended North Seattle Community College to study computer networking.  The math didn’t bother him but the programming courses did, and when he transferred to UW he did a major in Global Studies with a minor in Human Rights.

His work as an intern with a State Senator and his trip to Washington D.C. fascinated him.  He achieved a Masters in 2005 in Public Policy Studies but without a clear idea how he wanted to apply it.  He interviewed for everything, no matter how vague a relationship the job held to his education, from insurance underwriting to City clerk.

At home, he spent some unemployed free time attending an Uptown Alliance meeting – the community advocacy organization for his area of Queen Anne – and heard their need for a new president.  He considered the position, consulted with the sitting president, and decided to run.  Once elected, he threw himself into the job as he lobbied City Council, organized community meetings and solved neighborhood problems.

At Mercer Corridor meetings, he met people who worked in public affairs.  Talking with them led him to discover his new career path.  “They did all that kind of stuff I really enjoy.”

See Michael Go

“That stuff” is the stuff of the Chamber - problem solving, going out and meeting people, boosting membership and increasing revenues - “I would call this a public affairs job.”

In order to afford an ED, the Chamber must increase revenues and Michael has already started discussions around the possibility of a new fundraising event in the spring.  He sees potential growth in general meetings and he wants “to tap into” tourism grants.  Michael doesn’t have previous grant writing experience but “I can do it,” he says with firm confidence.

As for the nitty-gritty, sometimes boring office work, Michael gives it priority.  Each day when he arrives at the Chamber office, “the first thing I do is check phone messages and e-mail.  Communications.  That’s a huge part of the job.”

Michael intends to build membership, and to pursue members “from all over.”  Chamber by-laws declare Fremont is a state of mind and Michael believes he can make a strong case that the FCC represents more than just those businesses within the geographic area of the neighborhood.  We can provide networking, advertising and business support to a much larger community.  “The more members, the more strong the organization is,” he said.

“I need to go out and meet people,” and in his first weeks he set himself to personally meet all 20 Board Members.  He wants to feed the board information he gathers and “either they run with it or they ask ‘you run with it.’”  As for building the board, and volunteerism in general, Michael doesn’t have a grand plan but “I feel I’m pretty enthusiastic and I hope that will rub off.”

Go, Michael, Go

“Part of my acclimating is:  I want to know.  I want to know the issues here.  If I don’t know about the neighborhood, how effective am I going to be?”  Michael anxiously seeks information about life on the north side of the Fremont Bridge.  For Fremonsters, fearful that having an ED from Queen Anne means a cessation of jokes about “Fremont Heights”, Michael assured me he’s fine with it.  “Now that I’m here, I have a stake here,” he says, and he’s ready to play.