Baker Boyer Schedules Online Business Panel for June 3

Baker Boyer will virtually host its second business panel, The State of Business in Our Region, to address the current economy, how businesses are navigating these challenging times and how they can best position themselves for the future. The business panel is open to the general public as part of the bank’s D.S. Baker University. It will take place on Thursday, June 3, at 12 p.m. PT.
 
Speakers include Dave Kohl, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Finance and Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship at Virginia Tech, and D. Patrick Jones, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Institute of Public Policy & Economic Analysis at Eastern Washington University. Kohl is a renowned keynote speaker with a deep background in business overall as well as keen insight into the agriculture industry, which he has gained through extensive travel, research and involvement in agriculture businesses. Jones, a Whitman College graduate, has expertise in the economic impact of COVID-19 on the Walla Walla region, which is based on his years of experience in Washington state.
 
“We are passionate about helping our business community thrive during these challenging times, and we believe education around relevant data and timely information is one way to do that,” said Rob Blethen, Executive Vice President at Baker Boyer. “We plan on making these bi-annual business panels a regular part of D.S. Baker University going forward. We had nearly 100 business owners and leaders attend the first one, and we expect that to grow moving forward.”
 
The event will begin with opening remarks from Mario Delgadillo, Vice President and Regional Business Banking Manager at Baker Boyer. Kohl will then discuss how the pandemic has created challenges and disruptions, but also opportunities in business, banking and life in general. A significant portion of this presentation will be dedicated to the agricultural segment. Next, Jones will spend time on the economics of each market served by Baker Boyer, including Yakima, the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla.
 
Finally, Baker Boyer Business Advisor Ashley Mahan will share the results of the bank’s business climate survey of local businesses in Yakima, the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla. Baker Boyer plans to repeat this survey every six months to help spot trends as they evolve and report those findings at business panels going forward.
 
The online business panel will run approximately one hour through Microsoft Teams live. For additional information and to register for this event, please visit www.bakerboyer.com/businesspanel. Attendees of the virtual business panel will have the opportunity to follow up with a Baker Boyer advisor from the office of their choosing. Baker Boyer’s team has expertise in business lending, succession planning, asset management, estate planning and more.
 
To participate in Baker Boyer’s business climate survey, please visit www.bakerboyer.com/businesspanel. Participating businesses will receive the full results of the survey via email, in addition to seeing the highlights presented at the June 3 business panel. The plan is to repeat this survey every six months to help spot trends as they evolve and report those at Business Panel’s going forward.
 
As the original Northwest Bank, founded over 150 years ago in Walla Walla, Baker Boyer has always been committed to strengthening our community. We have assembled a world-class team of local advisors with expertise in business lending, succession planning, asset management, estate planning, and much more. Where many banks and other companies are reducing in-person services, Baker Boyer continues to prioritize personal interactions with offices in Yakima, Tri-Cities, and the Walla Walla Valley.