For the past three years Pola Kelley, Allstate Insurance Agent has been President of The Sedro-Woolley Chamber of Commerce Board.  Originally, the Chair of the Revitalization Committee, Pola started on the board filling someone else’s unfulfilled term, a frequent happening at that time.  Shortly after her first full year on the board while vacationing in Hawaii, she got a call and was told she was now the Board President, shocked she was but she rose to the occasion.  There was no major plan to follow, no clear direction the board was headed, for the most part the previous board had just been trying to keep the Department of Licensing functioning.  

Pola saw the need to create a stronger board and to head in new directions.  Over the next three years the Board made tough decisions but really helped make the Chamber stronger.  One of the first things the Board did was back the efforts of the Revitalization Committee in bringing outdoor movies to the city in July.  A successful endeavor entering its fourth year.  Jane Rocha, a board member, who served an interim position as Members Service Director, helped the Board see that changes had to be made, including the addition of an Executive Director when she scheduled a retreat for the board with the President of the State Washington Chamber of Commerce.  Many ideas were brought forth and in doing so a clear idea of what type of person should head the Chamber was developed.  Eventually, from a varied list of candidates David Bricka, a Sedro Woolley local was chosen.  A good choice it proved to be when the Board decided to challenge the IRS ruling that the Chamber was not a Non-profit organization.  A fight that David was instrumental in winning. 

One other tremendous change in Pola’s mind was the way all the current board members up for reelection wanted to continue, she said “The first year I was President we often sat there waiting for a 7th person to arrive so we could start the meeting, there was so much change that consistency was difficult to achieve. We hope with transitioning now to Troy Kunz as President while I am still on the Board will also help us achieve even more as Troy will have my help, whenever he wants it.”  
Pola’s plans for her next two years on the board are to add a new element to our Christmas events, she will be asking for your support so if you would like to know more give her a call. Pola started her Allstate Office in 1999, since then she has earned Honor Ring status from Allstate which included a trip too Hawaii, repeatedly received Allstate Foundation Grants on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, was a nominee for SBA Business of the Year, and placed second in the Business Pulse awards for best insurance agent earlier this year.  But she said the most rewarding aspect of her job is when she actually gets to help someone who has suffered a loss.  “If you can make the loss of a loved one a little better by delivering a life insurance check, or see someone’s home restored after a storm, that is what my job is truly about.” 

Kelley, born in Idaho, was raised on family land east of Clear Lake.  Landed homesteaded by her Grandparents Stan & Hedwig Janicki in the 1920’s.  She attended Clear Lake Grade School and graduated from Sedro-Woolley High School almost 40 years ago.  Although she started her family young she always had a dream to return to college, 1n 1986 she did.  Starting at North Idaho College she earned her way into Gonzaga University where she graduated in 1990 magna cum laude with a double major in Speech Communications and Political Science.   During that time she was an intern and later a paid staffer in the Spokane office of Senator Brock Adams.  After graduation she returned to Sedro-Woolley to be near her aging mother and growing grandchildren, with still one child in school.  She found employment as the Marketing Director of an environmental firm and was with them till they closed in the Fall of 1998, an old high school classmates suggested she try insurance and Pola found it was the right fit.  Her two daughters Trish Holmgren and Bridget Heffele have both been associates with the local office and her son Merek Budinich helped with start up capital.  In November of 2004, Pola spotted a property while having lunch at the State Street Deli, which turned out to be zoned CBD and she quickly made an offer and soon had a new home and office.