Activism
Kent Chamber of Commerce’s Trailblazing CEO Zenovia Harris Receives The Larry Gossett 2023 Service Award
KENT, Wash. /PRNewswire/ — The excitement continues for Zenovia Harris, who took home the Larry Gossett 2023 Service Award. As a recipient of the award, Zenovia was recognized as an individual who has made a significant contribution in the area of racial equity, social justice, and human rights. The award was given by King County in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, whose theme this year was “Truth, Light, and Hope.”
The award was well-deserved for Seattle-area leader Zenovia Harris. As the only black CEO in the state of Washington, Zenovia strives to ensure economic equality remains a crucial factor for healthy communities. In 2019, Zenovia became the CEO of the Kent Chamber of Commerce, playing an instrumental role in leading the Kent Chamber in its equity work. This comes naturally for Zenovia, who also leads other Chambers throughout King County, including the Renton Chamber, Kirkland Chamber, and Seattle Southside Chamber.
Video of acceptance speech
Zenovia Harris | 2023 Larry Gossett Service Award (vimeo.com)
Through Zenovia’s leadership, she has diversified Board Member participation and introduced a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. To support both her own and other local chambers, Zenovia instituted equity talks, which are open to both chamber members and larger communities. By performing internal evaluations to understand where the challenges and needs are in order to meet equity goals, Zenovia’s presence as an innovative and caring leader remains steadfast.
Zenovia appeared nothing but honored and grateful upon receiving the Larry Gossett 2023 Service Award, stating “I am grateful for my tenacity to fight for others and my opportunity to sit at tables that were not designed for me but being savvy enough to extract pertinent and critical information to delineate what options are available for CBO’s, micro-businesses, home-based, and small businesses.”
About The Kent Chamber of Commerce:
The Kent Chamber of Commerce actively works to support businesses in the area by being the voice and ears of the community, bringing the business community together in a dynamic and profitable way. As the premier organization in South King County, The Kent Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to ensure a healthy, vibrant business community for all.
Support The Kent Chamber of Commerce’s work by becoming a member today: https://info.kentchamber.com/member/newmemberapp/
SOURCE The Kent Chamber of Commerce