The Thurston County Chamber of Commerce will host a half-day workforce summit Oct. 14 at Saint Martin's University in Lacey, headlined by the CEO of Seattle-based Dick's Drive-In.

The Future of Work Summit runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Norman Worthington Center. Tickets cost $85. Registration is open at members.thurstonchamber.com. This year's theme is "Work, Redefined: Building a Workforce in a World That Keeps Changing."

Jasmine Donovan, president and CEO of Dick's Drive-In, will deliver the closing keynote, titled "Becoming the Employer People Want to Stay For." Donovan, a granddaughter of Dick's co-founder Dick Spady, joined the company's executive team full-time in 2013 and became president when her father, Jim Spady, retired in March 2019.

Dick's has drawn attention for investing in wages, healthcare, childcare support and scholarships for employees. The chain's childcare program has achieved a 94% retention rate among participants, according to the Chamber. Every store manager starts as a crew member under the company's promotion-from-within model.

Chamber President and CEO David Schaffert said the summit reflects a shift in what local employers need. "The conversation has shifted," Schaffert said. "Today's employers aren't just asking where they'll find their next employee; they're asking how work itself is changing and what that means for their organizations."

The event also features an opening session from Maddy Thompson, acting executive director of the Washington State Workforce Board, appointed in January by Gov. Bob Ferguson. The session is titled "The Ground Has Shifted." A Workforce Expo will run throughout the morning, with vendor check-in starting at 7:30 a.m.

The summit has been approved for four Business HR Recertification Credit Hours, counting toward PHR, SPHR and related certifications from the HR Certification Institute.

The summit lands during a leadership transition at the Chamber. Schaffert announced Sept. 1 that he will step down at the end of 2026 after more than 28 years. The Olympian reported that he cited workforce shortages, employee work expectations and a regulatory environment getting harder on small businesses as headwinds facing local employers. The Oct. 14 event will be among his final major public events as CEO.

The Chamber's board met in July to plan the search for his successor, with a goal of completing the transition by year's end. The organization has roughly 1,400 business members.

Registration and sponsorship details are available at members.thurstonchamber.com.