Ken Speck, Charles Dalton and Dave Shinstrom Honored at Chamber of Commerce Annual Meet

Dr. David Shinstrom, honored for the Community Service provided by Orcas Family Helath Center

“Businesses Helping Other Businesses” Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce theme at Annual Meeting

The Annual Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce meeting was attended by a full complement of the island’s business and non-profit communities on Wednesday night.

As the overflow crowd sat down to tables in Rosario’s Discovery Room, the Chamber’s Executive Director Lance Evans, and Board President Michell Marshall presented various speakers.

The Community Service Award honoree was Dr. David Shinstrom and the Orcas Family Health Center, a nonprofit organization. The Family Health Center was praised by Marshall for its “care for all” philosophy. Shinstrom accepted the award at the podium, accompanied by his dog, but could only manage to say ” We try to do this,” before being overcome by emotion.

Charles Dalton and The Kitchen won the Environmental Award; Marshall noted the restaurant’s achievement of eliminating its dumpster use and disposing all table scraps through an arrangement with Charlie Nigretto to use the organic waste through composting.

Victoria Compton and Patty Miller spoke for the San Juan Economic Development Council, which has brought three campaigns to the county’s businesses this year:

• expanding small business support through 15 classes on Orcas and San Juan Islands (upcoming classes are on Nov. 3 and 8, call 378-2906 or go to sanjuansedc.org );
• improving broadband services to provide wider services for businesses;
• enhancing transportation to provide better services.

Deborah Hopkins  of the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau (www.visitsanjuans.com) encouraged businesses to advertise in the San Juans Visitors Guide, with a deadline of Friday, Oct. 29, and to attend the Nov. 10 annual Visitors Bureau dinner at the San Juan Island Yacht Club.

The San Juan Visitors Bureau grew out of the 1999 Business Association of San Juan County, founded by Christopher Peacock, Sue Silvernail, Jon Kobayashi and Susan Fletcher. The association produces a travel guide and wedding guide and is also the lead in the Scenic Byways project.

The emotional “sweet spot” of the event for many was the slide show and presentation honoring Ken Speck for his contributions to the vitality of the Orcas Island business community. Marshall explored what has compelled Speck to help so many people after a “tough childhood” – Speck was orphaned in early childhood when his parents died in a train wreck; he was sent to a notoriously bad children’s home – so bad that the headmaster was lynched and the building set on fire.  Ken was adopted by family, but that too was an abusive situation

When he left home he quickly embraced music and radio communication. He had a role in the first “country Music” movie, “Country Music on Broadway,” a 1965 Musical film starring Porter Wagoner, Doyle Wilburn, Teddy Wilburn, Hank Snow, and Earl Scruggs.

Since coming to Orcas, Ken has served as president of the LIONS Club  and participated in the public school’s music program, raising $30,000 and teaching at the school twice a week.

Speck helped  start the Orcas Family Health Center in 2005, offering primary health care available for all. Ken is a member of the Community Band, and is leader of the swing band Orcatrazz.

His rationale for a lifetime of helping others, Speck said, is simply  “to pay it forward.”

Terri Gilleland, Chamber Administrative Assistant,  and Michelle Wiley, Chamber volunteer, collaborated to draw and announce the winning raffle numbers for a multitude of products and services donated by Chamber members.

Marshall gave a presentation on this past summer’s Washington Business Week, a “business boot camp for high school students. The Orcas Chamber of Commerce sponsored Claire O’Neill and Hailey Paulson, who spoke to the Annual Meeting. Claire said the week at Western Washington University gave her a different perspective about attending college; she’d been nervous about being around people “much smarter than myself.  I didn’t know I could be a leader.” She held her own just fine, though and was elected CEO of her  company.

Hailey Paulson also confessed to being a shy person, and expected people to be “judgmental.” Instead, she found support and took the risk to volunteer as CEO of her company. As CEO, she made a public address to over 300 business leaders, something she’d been afraid of doing. Hailey said she realized, “If you work hard enough, you can do anything you want.”

For more information about the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce, go to orcasislandchamber.com

Washington Business Week, a 35-year old program