On Tuesday, we partnered with the Anacortes Museum to host a launch party for the new Maritime Washington National Heritage Area. It was a wonderful night. I wanted to share the thank you note from Alex Gradwohl along with her slides from the evening, and the ideas that we all shared with her. Thank you to everyone who came!
Dear Skagit County friends,
A big thank you to all those who could join the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area in Anacortes last night! It was truly a pleasure to meet such a dedicated group of maritime heritage advocates representing such a diverse range of organizations, industries, and perspectives. An extra special thank you to Bret from the Anacortes Museum and Jordan from the Downtown Anacortes Alliance for co-hosting and pulling together such a lovely event. And my sincere gratitude to Chairman Tom Wooten of Samish Indian Nation for his words of welcome to kick off the evening.
I’ve attached here a summary of your feedback to the evening’s discussion questions. I’ve already learned a lot reading through your suggestions of stories to share, resources you’re proud of, and issues that are on your minds. We’ll use this input to help guide Maritime Washington staff and leadership in our storytelling, support, and advocacy moving forward. If you have any additional input after reviewing other folks’ ideas, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
I’ve also attached my slides here for those who weren’t able to make it last night. We encourage everyone to explore our website to learn more about Maritime Washington, dive into stories from our shores (don’t miss this video featuring Deception Pass State Park or this interview with Anacortes Ferry Terminal Supervisor Elena Zachry!), and plan your next maritime adventure.
If your organization is interested in becoming a partner of Maritime Washington, please fill out an online application or reach out to me with any questions. We’re always thrilled to welcome new partners to our region-wide network of folks dedicated to our state’s maritime heritage.
I look forward to continuing to work with all of you to better celebrate, maintain, and share the vibrant maritime heritage of Anacortes, Skagit County, and beyond!
Best,
Alex
