▶ Governor Ferguson Signs Proclamation on September 14, Retroactively Designating August 16 as “WMBC Day”

▶ Minority Business Leaders Unite to Overcome Shared Barriers, Including Access to Capital and Markets

▶ WMBC Expands from Three Founding Organizations Last May to a Coalition of Seven Organizations This Year

Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson officially proclaimed August 16 as “Washington Minority Business Unity Day” in recognition of the signing of the founding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) by the Washington Minority Business Chambers Coalition (WMBC). The proclamation took effect upon Governor Ferguson’s signature on September 14.

◈ “Minority-Owned Businesses Are a Vital Driver of Washington’s Economy”

The proclamation recognizes that minority-owned businesses make essential contributions to Washington State’s economic prosperity, innovation, workforce development, job creation, and cultural vitality.

At the same time, it acknowledges that, despite the diversity of minority communities across the state, minority-owned businesses face many shared barriers, including access to capital, technical assistance, public- and private-sector procurement opportunities, organizational capacity, certification resources, and pathways to supplier diversity.

The proclamation further emphasizes that minority-owned businesses are addressing these common challenges through unity rather than competition, fostering collaboration across communities, industries, and regions.

◈ August 16 Marks the Signing of WMBC’s Founding MOU

According to the proclamation, August 16 marked the official launch of the Washington Minority Business Chambers Coalition (WMBC) with the signing of its Founding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

The signing ceremony took place on the final day of the 2026 WABA Korea Expo & Festival at Pier 62 on the Seattle Waterfront. The agreement was led by Myung Kyu Oh, President of the Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Washington State (KACCWA), and Marcos Wanless, President of the Seattle Tacoma Latino Chamber of Commerce and WMBC’s inaugural Chair.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, Víctor Hugo López Ortega, Consul General of Mexico in Seattle, and Sung-gil Jang, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Seattle, delivered congratulatory remarks.

WMBC was initially launched in May last year as a coalition of three organizations: the Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA), the Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Washington State (KACCWA), and the Seattle Tacoma Latino Chamber of Commerce.

Since then, the Taiwanese Junior Chamber of Commerce in Seattle (TJCCS), the African Chamber of Commerce of the Pacific Northwest (ACCPNW), the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce of North America (TCCNA), and the Greater Seattle Korean Association have joined the coalition, expanding WMBC to its current seven member organizations.