Chamber Staff

Alison Shaffer
President & CEO
exec@puyallupsumnerchamber.com

Alison Shaffer, born and raised in Puyallup, brings a deep understanding of the unique business environment and strong sense of community that defines the South Sound region. With a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Washington State University, Alison began her career at a boutique advertising agency in Seattle, where she spent a decade on and off as a national broadcast media buyer, managing campaigns in over 20 major U.S. markets. A lifelong love of interior design, Alison founded The Modern Cottage Company in 2010, a design and antique retail business in Tacoma, Washington. In 2012, Alison was among the first selected for the Spaceworks, a program of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and City of Tacoma. Alison later served on the Spaceworks steering committee. Over eight years, Alison opened and operated multiple retail shops across the South Sound, including a pop-up in downtown Seattle and several co-op stores with local artists and business owners. Since January 2019, Alison has served in leadership and as Vice President of Strategic Engagement and Programming at the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce. In this role, Alison has been instrumental in advancing programs that support local businesses, expanding membership, and strengthening community partnerships. Passionate about supporting local businesses, Alison is committed to fostering economic development and engagement throughout the region.

Hannah Elwell
Director of Communications
hannah@puyallupsumnerchamber.com

Hey there! I’m Hannah Elwell, the Director of Communications at the Puyallup Sumner Chamber of Commerce, where I get to geek out over all things Chambers of Commerce (yes, I’m a total nerd about them)! I grew up in Bonney Lake and moved to Puyallup in 2021—I'm proud to call this community home. After graduating from White River High School in 2018, I played volleyball at North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene before returning home to earn my Associate of Arts in Political Journalism from Pierce College, Puyallup, in Spring 2020. During that time, I sharpened my reporting skills at The Puyallup Post. In 2021, I joined the Chamber team, completed the Chamber’s Leadership Institute in 2022, and am currently diving deep into the Western Association of Chamber Executives (W.A.C.E.) Academy to level up my leadership and communication skills. After nearly four years with the Puyallup Sumner Chamber, I’m incredibly proud of this team and all we’ve achieved together. We are always eager to serve our members and the broader East Pierce County community—and we can’t wait to accomplish even more together!

Outside of my work at the Chamber, I love writing and coaching volleyball for Reality Sports, sharing my passion for the sport with younger athletes. I’m also a self-proclaimed media junkie, with a special fondness for Disney, thanks to annual trips with my amazing mom, dad, and younger sister, Kaitlyn. While Disney shaped much of my childhood, I’m equally passionate about other media, like The Lord of the Rings and video games—fair warning: if you ask me about movies or video games, I just might talk your ear off!

If you ever need assistance with the Chamber’s e-newsletter (Chamber Chatter), social media, the member portal, upcoming events and programs, advertising, or press releases, please don’t hesitate to contact me or our fantastic Chamber TEAM!

Kristi Brady
Director of Business Development
kristi@puyallupsumnerchamber.com

Hi, I’m Kristi Brady! I am your Business Development Representative with the Chamber. I am here to connect businesses, which is my favorite part of my job. You may also see me popping into local businesses to introduce myself and spread the word about the Chamber. I’m here to help you get the most out of your membership, whether that means facilitating business connections, making introductions, or giving a tour of the member portal. I am happy to meet with you to learn more about your business story.

A bit more about me: I was born and raised in Utah on an organic wheat farm. I moved to Washington after graduating high school and have lived in Puyallup ever since. I currently live in downtown Puyallup and love supporting the community I live in. I have five children and seven grandchildren (so you could say we are the “Brady Bunch”). After spending 17 years in the theme park industry, I transitioned to the chamber world, working as a Business Development Representative for the Tacoma Pierce County Chamber for seven years. I am now thrilled to represent the Puyallup Sumner Chamber as Director of Business Development and can’t wait to meet you all and watch this community thrive and grow.

If you come across a business that you know would benefit from engaging with our member base, please feel free to contact me. I couldn't be happier to work alongside such dedicated professionals and genuinely great people.

Our Organizational Values:

• Impactful – We are passionately people-focused and dedicated to empowering them to become high-performance leaders of their organizations.

• Influential – Driven to achieve extraordinary outcomes to advance commerce and community.

• Innovative – Relentlessly resourceful, we strive to understand our community's unique issues and apply creative solutions to problem-solve and grow with our partners.

• Inspiring – We aspire for excellence as we lead with our head and heart.

• Individuals united as one team – Exceptional teams are made of exceptional teammates. We recognize our unique individual contributions to the team and aspire to create a supportive environment where all of us can thrive.

• IN – We are bold, transparent, and ALL IN!