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LIFESTYLES •Container Gardening •Bellevue Square •A Touch of History •Bellevue Urbanite •Discover Downtown ARTS & CULTURE •Bellevue Art Museum •Theatre Performances ENTERTAINMENT •Haute Picks •2003 BDA Calendar of •Events •Downtown Event Calendar •Bellevue Live DOWNTOWN LIVING •Condominiums •Apartments DOWNTOWN RESOURCES •Downtown Directory •Downtown Bellevue Map •Related Links •Bellevue Downtown •Association HOME ADVERTISE ISSUE ARCHIVE Bellevue Downtown is a publication of the Bellevue Downtown Association © 2003 |
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| Discover Downtown: A Spotlight On Downtown’s Community Leaders Serving on a board of directors, coordinating corporate involvement, providing financial support and volunteering their time—these are just some of the ways individuals in the downtown Bellevue business community are making a difference on the Eastside.
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The story of how Jeff Bander, Senior VP & Private Client Manager with Wells Fargo Investments LLC, got involved with Hopelink, may cause you to rethink your dinner conversation tonight. In 1995, Bander and his family were sitting around the table talking and decided they wanted to make a family contribution to a charity. They chose local charity Hopelink because 94% of funding goes directly to the delivery of services. A few years later when Bander personally presented a check to the director of Hopelink on behalf of Wells Fargo, he felt moved to do more and has been on the board for the past three years. 
Most people don’t know that Anne Marie Peacock, Assistant Director of Marketing & PR for Bellevue Square, is actually Captain Peacock. Peacock’s National Guard unit is responsible for tank battlefield maintenance and repair, and with the 81st Infantry Brigade currently on alert she could be called to active duty service at any time. For many of her colleagues and friends, Peacock’s willingness to share her experience provides a personal link to the difficult events taking place in our world. And as our hometown soldier, she represents downtown Bellevue, serving the nation with poise and purpose.
When Managing Partner Mark Woerman suggested assembling bicycles for kids rather than having a company holiday party, Elizabeth Morgan, Business Development Director at CollinsWoerman, knew how to make it happen. Already an active volunteer for Forgotten Children’s Fund, she notified them of the firm’s plan, “100 Bikes, 100 Kids.” Fred Meyer sold them bikes at cost and Rainier Plaza offered a floor to assemble them. The firm shut down their office and assembled 100 bikes in one day! Morgan and others from CollinsWoerman also volunteered with Forgotten Children’s Fund at Christmas, delivering bikes, coats, food and gifts to needy families across the Puget Sound region. 
Char Patterson, architect & senior associate at JPC Architects, was looking for an opportunity to get involved in the community. When the firm moved into the Summit, she found it—right across the street. Patterson volunteers her professional expertise as a member of the technical advisory committee to the City of Bellevue, which is responsible for evaluating what City departments will be housed in the newly acquired Qwest building, located downtown. She is thrilled to be a part of the project from the start, as she will be able to watch the property develop and grow, all from her office window.
Bellevue and First Mutual Bank grew up together, and this year they will both celebrate their 50th birthdays. As such, it seems fitting that the local bank, which has been deeply involved in the growth of the community, should have a role in planning the party. That role is filled by John Valaas, President & CEO of First Mutual Bancshares and co-chair of the Bellevue 50Fest. Valaas has demonstrated a commitment to Bellevue over the past twenty years serving on several boards, including BAM, BDA and the Bellevue Chamber and was honored as the Best of Bellevue Citizen of the Year in 2002 by Advance Bellevue. 
