Looking for business opportunity in unprecedented times is a daunting task for many local businesses across Grays Harbor, but that’s just what Lynnette Buffington, the new Chief Executive Officer of Greater Grays Harbor plans to do.

Buffington brings organizational and management experience to her job with Greater Grays Harbor, which serves as an economic development and recruitment organization, as well as a regional chamber of commerce and a support for local governments and existing local businesses. She worked as the Membership Outreach Manager during a near seven-year term at the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce before serving as the Executive Director of the Washington State Fraternal Order of Police the past two years.

Before that, Buffington was on track for a position as a collegiate athletic director, having served as a head coach, Director of Soccer Operations and Assistant Athletic Director during a four-and-a-half year tenure at Pacific Lutheran University.

Buffington, whose family has owned a cabin in the Grayland area since 1967, believes that, though it may not seem like it, the time is ripe for Grays Harbor to seize upon opportunities the pandemic has created for more rural locales.

She takes over for former CEO Dru Garson, who is now with the Association of Washington Business. Buffington has been on the job barely a month, but sat down with The Daily World this week to talk about her new role and the challenges presented by the current business climate.

What is your vision for this job?

Buffington: It’s challenging to come into this job given our current situation. That aside, Grays Harbor has some untapped potential. I think there’s an opportunity for rural communities, especially given the pandemic, to thrive. As the workforce has demonstrated, time and again, they can be productive in a remote scenario.

Our urban centers don’t have affordable housing. Our urban centers don’t necessarily need to be our employment centers any longer. So rural communities have an opportunity to thrive during this change in the status quo.

There is a high amount of opportunity here. We have the land, we have some agricultural resources, we have our proximity to Asia with the port. There are some great assets here that remind me of Tacoma in some regards, and having seen Tacoma pivot, I see the potential in Grays Harbor as well.

In recent years, there has been some funding issues with some local municipalities pulling funding from Greater Grays Harbor as they felt like they weren’t getting their money’s worth out of the chamber. How do you expect to address that and facilitate building those relationships?

Buffington: We’re getting ready for that season here shortly and I think a big part of that is articulating our value, especially during a time of crisis. What our outreach has looked like. How we supported small businesses. How we have been part of the facilitation of federal relief dollars in our role in the community. So articulating the value, articulating the actual metrics and showing that we are a vital part of the recovery and economic development here.

With the area experiencing economic downturn since the 1980’s, and with a pandemic placed on top of that, where do you begin to deal with reversing that trend?

Buffington: You first look at the opportunities that the pandemic has created. Rural communities have an opportunity to attract a remote workforce, a nomadic workforce. So we have the ability to draw individuals for relocation. And they have a need for goods and services. So there is an opportunity there. But if we are going to pivot from some of the historical industries here, we need to look at what we can draw in. Can we draw in bio-medical? Can we draw in manufacturing, industrial and things like that? And identifying what kind of land and facilities we have to do that. But I don’t think you can ever give up trying. You have to keep grinding on these issues and taking opportunities and knocks at the door and keep vetting them and seeing if they are viable for the area. But you can’t write a narrative or a story about the economic future of this area by just stopping it and presuming to know the outcome.

As a business developer, do you look at the pandemic as an opportunity to draw skilled workers from other areas, in that it’s a more inexpensive place to live and a little more business friendly than some of the larger cities/counties in the state?

Buffington: Yes. Again, I think the workforce doesn’t have to live within a tolerable drive of the office any longer. So yes, tapping into the potential for attracting a population to relocate. Tapping into the potential that some municipalities are going to create policies that may not be friendly to business and working with our local government to continue business friendly and retention practices.

What are some of the problems you’ve seen the COVID-19 pandemic cause and how are you going to address them?

Buffington: In a nutshell, it’s uncertainty. Companies, businesses and employers feel like they are getting their feet underneath them and then there’s a quick change to the rules of the game. So that uncertainty has probably slowed down some folks in terms of their desire to be adaptable because they want to see how this plays out.

The uncertainty will change how consumers behave. It’s going to change how businesses build their confidence in adapting. How much they want to invest into adapting and being innovative. So that’s immediately what we’re seeing.

What we’re trying to do, and some of the communications I’ve started recently with the membership was how can we support you in being innovative? What tools do you need? What skills do you not have that we can bring to you? Is it just creating a better web presence or is it navigating what you need to do, and I’m thinking about restaurants here, to do take out and delivery in an area that isn’t broadly serviced by third-party vendors (Door Dash for example). So identifying what they need for sustainability.

It’s becoming more and more evident that this is not a short-term thing and this is changing how we do business forever. And as we come to terms with that we need to figure out what the business community needs to adapt and thrive accordingly. We do have businesses closing and have some that are temporarily closed, and supporting them and finding out what they need, what kind of confidence they need, and maybe federal or state resources, to reopen with confidence.

One of the things that is kicking around in Phase 4 congressional relief package, is targeted liability for businesses, organizations and schools who follow public health policy. So that is about building confidence.

The congressional House policy is what we support and that will protect those business sites. So that’s about building the confidence. Is there going to be an extension or additional relief to certain industries? They’ve tossed around that tourism and hospitality industries are getting some more targeted relief. Things like that will build business owner confidence, which then will build consumer confidence, you would hope. So really advocating for those levels and that type of change to build that confidence even here in rural communities.

What is your gauge of the local businesses community’s anticipation, fervor, apprehension, in getting their businesses back open and back to as close to normal as possible?

Buffington: There is a desire to reopen, to employ folks and to continue the dream, and small business owners are living a dream. For most people, any type of dream you are pursuing you are going to do with some sort of passion or fervor and this has been a huge disruption to that achievement of a dream. So people are passionate about getting back to their dream.

When I’m talking to folks (mostly on Zoom) … there is optimism there. There is optimism in being able to service the community. There is optimism about coming out of it healthy. There is reality that there will be challenges. But overall, I’m seeing a level of positivity. But at the same time cautious about what’s coming next.

We have some interesting dynamics going on with a high tourism base that it’s great to bring those folks in here and have those investments in the area, but what else are those folks bringing with them? So those concerns are out there, but overall there’s some general optimism that we can get through this. We’ve had some industries that have not had to terminate or shutdown and maybe we can start reopening in some areas soon.

What are your thoughts on the challenges of taking on this job at this time?

Buffington: It’s challenging but I’m positive about it because I think that disruption to what we’ve always done has given us enormous opportunity to think differently and to change certain thinking and belief practices.

In some regards, it’s go into survival mode, but be innovative. Necessity is the mother of invention. Everybody needs to figure out what their business model looks like. If they need to go and find their customers, where they are and their customers are online; or their customers are not being reached and what they need to do differently to reach their customers. So necessity is the mother of invention and that is optimistic to me because now I’m working with business leaders who want to try something new and exciting and innovative.

There has been so many negatives with this pandemic and there will continue to be so many negatives, but there has to be an opportunity in all of it. And I’m not talking about reckless opportunity, but I’m talking about really improving what we do.

What are your thoughts on working in a county that is in Phase 3 of COVID-19 recovery?

Buffington: As someone who came from Phase 2, I feel very fortunate we are in Phase 3 and have a different set of rules, if you will. It makes us a draw for other counties. People are using our beaches and coming to our beach towns. We think (those numbers) might be up and beating historical performances.

And we also have the charter fishing, just sitting on the beach, and we have really rugged and broad, open beaches that allow for that level of distancing and privacy but still with the beauty in front of you. So I think we’re drawing people in and there are some strengths to being a Phase 3 county. I think we are fortunate to be in Phase 3.

Sometimes the goal posts have been moving for so many industries. But it’s back to uncertainty. Am I opening correctly? Am I safe? Am I protecting my employees and customers? Is this sustainable for my business or am I expending everything I have just to stay open.

I think we also have excellent mask compliance. Coming from a Phase 2 county, I have found that this county has greater, more improved mask compliance and I’m hoping, and I feel like I’m seeing it, I think that folks believe that by wearing a mask they are helping that business stay open. ‘I’m supporting their dream.’ … Regardless of where you stand with masks, if you are able to help a business stay compliant, they stay open, and the dream stays alive. And I feel like I’m seeing folks do that here.

Any final words for the community?

Buffington: I’m excited to be here. I see the opportunities. I recognize the challenges of moving to a new area. I welcome opportunities for discussions and partnerships. … I’m looking forward to bringing some of my background in policy and advocacy to this as well to make sure we get relief in the Harbor.