The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce (TCRCC) has hired Darlene Sarte as the organization’s Member Services and Event Coordinator.

In this position, Sarte will focus on membership sales, member benefit fulfillment, and supporting the management and execution of Regional Chamber events.

Sarte was previously employed at HAPO Community Credit Union as a Marketing Support Specialist, a title she held for over four years. In that role, Sarte coordinated public and private events, maintained partnerships with nonprofit organizations, and more. She currently serves on the City of Pasco’s Historic Preservation Commission.

“We’re grateful to have Darlene on our team,” said TCRCC President and CEO Lori Mattson, IOM. “Her experience in facilitating events and cultivating relationships make her an excellent fit for the Member Services and Events Coordinator position.”
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Sarte can be reached at 509.736.0510 or darlene.sarte@tricityregionalchamber.com.

Brooke Myrland, Workforce & Education Manager at the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce (TCRCC), was selected as one of 18 chamber professionals to participate in a six-month fellowship program on economic mobility facilitated by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).

The Fellowship for Economic Mobility is an immersive program that provides chamber of commerce professionals education and tools to work within workforce ecosystems and help to remove barriers to access living wage jobs. Fellows will be better positioned to support workers and employers in adapting to the new realities of work.
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“Economic mobility is essential to unlocking broader economic prosperity,” said Sheree Anne Kelly, ACCE’s president & CEO. “Chambers of commerce are catalytic leaders ideally suited to both address pressing talent challenges for low-income workers and ensure thriving and equitable local economies.”

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce (TCRCC) has hired Maria Alleman as the organization’s in-house Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) Counselor.

In this position, Alleman will provide businesses with no cost, confidential, one-on-one technical assistance in all aspects of selling to federal, state, and local governments. She is the lead contact for PTAC clients in seven counties: Benton, Franklin, Columbia, Grant, Klickitat, Walla Walla, and Yakima.

Alleman was previously employed at Visit Tri-Cities as the Convention Sales Manager, a title she held for nearly ten years. As a native Spanish speaker, her passion is in bridging language barriers and helping business owners succeed.

“We’re delighted to have Maria as our PTAC Counselor,” said TCRCC President and CEO Lori Mattson, IOM. “Maria’s experience in building and cultivating relationships with both English and Spanish-speaking business leaders makes her a great fit for counseling and expanding PTAC’s reach in previously underserved communities.”

Alleman can be reached at 509.491.3231 or maria.alleman@tricityregionalchamber.com.

Washington PTAC assists businesses through the government-contracting workplace. Washington PTAC’s mission is to increase the number of government contracts awarded to Washington firms so those firms can grow. You can learn more about Washington PTAC at www.washingtonptac.org. 

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce (TCRCC) has hired Miles Thomas, AICP, as the organization’s Government and Regional Affairs Director. In this position, Thomas will lead the Regional Chamber’s advocacy efforts, the myTRI 2030 Regional Vision Project, and much more.

Thomas brings more than a decade of experience in community and economic development to his new position. Within the Tri-Cities, Thomas has extensive policy advocacy and project planning experience through Economic Development roles in City and Port governance. His work has contributed to collaboratively funding workforce development and reskilling programs at Washington State University Tri-Cities, designation and promotion of federal Opportunity Zones, and expanding access to local business development and assistance programs.

“We’re thrilled to add Miles to the Regional Chamber team,” said TCRCC President and CEO Lori Mattson, IOM. “Miles’ experience in bringing private and public partnerships to fruition, building strong community and business relationships, and working to augment public policy that supports and inspires entrepreneurship make him the ideal Government and Regional Affairs Director for the Tri-City Regional Chamber.”

Thomas currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Tri-Cities Diversity and Inclusion Council and Sagebrush Montessori School in addition to committee roles for the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and Washington State Small Business Development Center Advisory Board. He is an alumnus of the University of Illinois and holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning.
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Thomas can be reached at 509.940.4004 or miles.thomas@tricityregionalchamber.com.