This year, more than ever, business owners and community leaders and legislators need data and information to make knowledgeable decisions. Join the Economic Development Council for its fifth annual Datapalooza! event from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 9 via Zoom. Participants can learn more about how the pandemic affected area industries and employment while sharing in a compelling bring-your-own lunch conversation with the group.

This year’s program, sponsored in part by Orcas Island Market, will include presentations by noted speakers James McCafferty, director of Western Washington Universities’s Center for Economic and Business Research and Dr. Anneliese Vance-Sherman, regional labor economist for Washington state.

The presentations will explore our region’s economy and demographics – past, present, and future – including industry, employment, sales data, and current trends. This in-depth analysis will enable leaders and business people to make informed decisions about issues that affect our community and economy.