Twelve Years and Counting

This month I will mark my 12^th Anniversary in this job – Gig Harbor Marketing Director.  Twelve years have gone by in the blink of an eye.  I find it a little hard to believe honestly.  I never set out to be here this long…I honestly wasn’t sure what I was getting into at the time I was hired.  Being the first person to ever hold this job, it was pretty much up to me to figure -out the position.  Hopefully I have by now!

So as I reflect a little today on the last 12 years, I realize how the community has been in a constant state of change since 1999.  Changing business, changing neighborhoods and changing people.  For example there has been;

• Six Gateway Editors
• Four Chamber of Commerce Executive Directors
• Three Peninsula School District Superintendents
• Two Mayors
• And a partridge in a pear tree –oh that’s me!

Our community has seen a lot of other changes, including the addition of Gig Harbor North, a new YMCA, the building of Uptown, adding Multicare Gig Harbor Medical Park, the beautiful Galaxy Theatre, the opening of St. Anthony Hospital and much more.  Close to my heart is the acquisition of so many great parks including Skansie Brothers Park and Wilkinson Farm Park and this year Pen Met Parks’ opening of Sehmel Homestead Park. 

The actual date of my first day on the job was September 18^th. And twelve years to the day the Harbor History Museum will open, after more than 20 years of dreaming about this facility!

Twelve years ago we had the Maritime Gig and the Gig Harbor Summer Arts Fair, but now so many more festivals provide residents and visitors alike dozens of wonderful opportunities through-out the year.  In the past twelve years we have added The Gig Harbor Quilt Festival, The Gig Harbor Art Walk, Summer Sounds at Skansie, CinemaGig Outdoors, the brand new Gig Harbor Wine and Food Festival, Harbor Hounds, The Gig Harbor Chowder Cook Off, Candlelight Christmas in the Harbor, Stepping Up Women’s Conference, Chalk the Walk, The Art of Chocolate, the Gig Harbor Street Scramble…phew!  I’m sure I’ve forgotten something.  But look at that list.  It’s amazing the wonderful annual events that provide, (for the most part) free entertainment in this community. 

So where am I going with all of this?  Frankly I’m not sure….other than to just think about the positive things that our community has accomplished and is accomplishing.  There have been plenty of stumbling blocks in twelve years as well, most notably the recent economic issues our country and community are facing.  But if any community can survive it – it’s Gig Harbor.  Always looking forward and continually re-inventing itself – that’s Gig Harbor. 

I’ve enjoyed being a part of it for the past twelve years.