Olympia Downtown Alliance Celebrates 25 Years of Championing Community

Names Todd Monohon 2022 Person of the Year

From top to bottom, left to right, The Olympia Downtown Alliance's 2022 Annual Report was distributed to Annual Meeting attendees, Alden from Underhill Plants, Design Award, Brotherhood Lounge, Business of the Year, Nick Guzman, Volunteer of the Year and Steve Cooper, Golden Paintbrush. Todd Monohon was not able to attend. 

The Olympia Downtown Alliance held its 25th Annual Meeting at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts and the Black Box on Monday, February 6, 2023. The event was a celebration of the progress and growth of the downtown area, and an opportunity to recognize the individuals and businesses who have made a significant impact on the community.

The evening included a review of 2022 and a look forward to 2023's program of work, with speeches from Alliance Board President Shina Wysocki, Alliance Executive Director Todd Cutts, Carrie Whisler from Olympia Federal Savings, and City of Olympia Mayor Cheryl Selby. The Alliance also presented data that showed a net increase in new business openings for two consecutive years, and a shift in investment with private investment surpassing public investment.

During the meeting, the Alliance honored community members with several awards, including the 2022 Design Award to Underhill Plants, the 2022 Golden Paintbrush award to Steve Cooper, the 2022 Business of the Year Award to The Brotherhood Lounge, the 2022 Volunteer of the Year Award to Nick Guzman, and the 2022 Person of the Year award to Todd Monohon.

Underhill Plants was recognized for their exceptional design efforts that contribute to the vibrancy of the downtown area. Steve Cooper was awarded the Golden Paintbrush for his support of the Love Oly Painters effort with donations for paint and his willingness to host a mural on his building. The Brotherhood Lounge was named Business of the Year for being a landmark in Olympia and offering a unique and enjoyable experience for its customers. Nick Guzman was named Volunteer of the Year for his positive and cheerful attitude and dedication to volunteering for various events and non-profits. And finally, Todd Monohon was named Person of the Year for his leadership as President of the Alliance, his commitment to the community, and his efforts to restore the Olympia Press Building

The Olympia Downtown Alliance is proud to recognize these individuals and businesses for their contributions to the community and for making downtown Olympia a better place for all.