Adams County Development Council

06/12/2026

When a certain Seattle-based (or is it Tennessee?) coffee company announced they were closing their Ritzville location, I wrote about what that kind of loss means to a rural community. Jobs. A vacant storefront. One less reason for an out-of-town traveler on I-90 to pull off the interstate.

I also wrote that we can't control every corporate decision, but we can control how we respond. It was what it was, a corporate decision from people that had never been to Ritzville.

Today, Thomas Hammer Coffee announced they are opening in Ritzville back in the former Starbucks space. This is a huge win for Adams County.

This is a local chain with significant regional name recognition. A founder and owner who is directly involved in the company, and a genuinely good person. Thomas Hammer isn't a multinational with a spreadsheet and an exit strategy, they're a true PNW company with roots in our region, built by people who understand what it means to invest in a community.

Balancing small business with big business is a fundamental rural challenge. Thomas Hammer is the best of both worlds. Recognized regional and national brands aren't competition, they are complementary. They're what pulls outsiders off the highway in the first place. A familiar name creates the exit decision, and once that traveler is in Ritzville, they can find our local people and places. It’s momentum for our small businesses and foot and vehicle traffic for our existing businesses. There's room for every type of business here, and a healthy mix of both is exactly what a community on I-90 needs to grow.

ACDC worked to help make this happen in collaboration with the City of Ritzville. I'm proud of that, and I'm proud of the team at Thomas Hammer for choosing to invest in Ritzville.

This is rural economic development. It's not one big announcement that fixes everything. It's filling the gap left by a departure with something that fits better. 21,000 vehicles pass through Ritzville every day. This allows us to recapture some of that lost traffic and revenue, backfilling a critical commercial pad that anchors our retail and travel amenities hub at exit 221.

Welcome to town, Thomas Hammer. Business belongs in Adams County.

RITZVILLE, WA!
The HAMMER is landing 🔨
August, 2026

(Formerly SBUX)

05/20/2026

Headed home from my annual trip to the ICSC commercial real estate conference in Las Vegas. 66,000 steps and 33.8 miles later, it’s nice to be flying back into GEG.

The Alaska Air route from Spokane to Portland took us directly across Adams County, allowing me to capture some cool photos of Othello from 30,000 feet.

After our booth with Grant County EDC and Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce was set up, I had an impromptu booth assembly session with the Port of Pasco and Tridec - Tri-City Development Council after the rest of their team experienced flight delays. Glad to help a neighbor, and it never hurts to build some ADO network social credits and IOUs!

This year’s ICSC crowd was roughly 25,000 attendees, all contained in 2.5 million square feet of floor space. Adams County has about 22,000 residents spread out in roughly 53.8 billion square feet. Safe to say the population density at ICSC is only slightly higher than at home.

This was my sixth iteration of ICSC, and each time, the conversations get better. Familiarity pays dividends. These are not cold conversations anymore with purely transactional intentions. Brokers and site selectors who have heard the Adams County story before are engaging, giving feedback, and are talking about progress, projects and specific locations with the kind of detail that only comes from remembered conversations. This has gone from the 30,000 foot level to the 10,000 foot. The goal is to get us to final approach, and land some of these opportunities.

The brokers and developers at ICSC are familiar with us, but each site selection is still fundamentally a math problem. To land this plane full of commercial and retail development, we need to show that investment dollars in our area will produce. Capitalism drives every decision, at every level. Our story is important, but the data is what drives decisions. For the Othello area, retail follows rooftops. I was told point blank by multiple reps that they need to see more houses being built for us to go from “on the radar” to the “in development” phase. For Ritzville and east Adams County, the story there is primarily driven (quite literally) by highway traffic counts, where efficient transportation access to our development sites is fundamental (read: roundabouts and WSDOT).

Every year, I go into ICSC with hesitation, and each year, I leave ICSC with worthwhile information and professional relationships. I had conversations and engagement that produced tangible points for me to take back to Adams County. These are facts, figures and insights that allow us all to advance our commercial and retail amenities. These details refine how I talk about our sites back home, how I market our opportunities, and how we craft our investment plans countywide.

As we strive for growth, we have to balance locally grown vs national brands, and I know that conversation can have a lot of emotion behind it. Our rural lifestyle will always remain at the core of our Adams County identity, but there is room and opportunity to pursue growth from all avenues.

Our local businesses are the core of our communities and ensuring the longevity of those businesses matters. Our local businesses are also carrying a heavy burden, and we know that the small business environment in Washington State is challenging. Support for our local businesses is essential, but in the Economic Development environment of today, it takes all kinds of kinds. Growth is the difference maker for many of our locally grown family businesses, and the right national brands can aid that growth.

National brands bring consistent capital and physical investment into our areas, and they signal to other investors that our market is viable. They also bring significant sales tax and property tax revenue that lessens the burden the rest of us already shoulder. The industrial employers we work to recruit and retain are also making location decisions that weigh quality of life for their workforce. These site selectors we engage with are evaluating whether their employees will have somewhere to eat, shop, and build a life. As we recruit national brands, we reduce our retail leakage, keeping dollars earned in Adams County spent in Adams County.

Our role in economic development is to foster enough momentum that we stay stable, relevant, and on the list when the next decision gets made. Retail and commercial growth leads to industrial growth, and industrial growth is where family-wage jobs and long-term sustainability come from. We can’t change Olympia. We cannot change DC. We can, however, work to grow our regional economy, ensuring that the Adams County we have today is sustainable and growing for generations to come.

04/20/2026

Adams County farmers, farm workers, and farming community at large: Your input is needed at the state level. The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is seeking input from all of us in search of data that will continue to tell the troubled story of agriculture in Washington State.

WSDA is now gathering input for their Phase 2 report, and they need voices from the ground that complements the data in the spreadsheets. There are three surveys: one for agricultural producers and farm owners, one for farmworkers and farmworker representatives, and one for businesses, advocates, and community members who touch the food and agriculture system. That last category includes a lot of us.

The stresses facing farming are numerous, and yes, some are political. This is a chance to provide data, insights, and testimony that will aid in the advocacy for political changes needed to mitigate (and hopefully reverse) some of the damage done to our robust agricultural economy in Washington State.

The WSDA has spent the past year building a baseline picture of agricultural viability across our state. This SWOT analysis completed in phase 1 quantified some of the data that directly results in the physical, financial, and emotional stress our ag industry is feeling, both locally in Adams County and statewide. When ag is stressed, our local communities feel that stress, as the secondary and tertiary impacts affect us all directly.

The numbers are not comfortable reading. Washington producers logged an estimated -$300 million in returns to operators in 2024, the lowest in the nation. Yes, that is a negative three hundred million dollars. Production expenses have nearly doubled since 2016 while net farm income sits at 42nd in the country.

Agriculture makes up ~12% of Washington State’s GDP, and directly supports our state’s immense export dominance. This data gathered in phase 1, and the input they are seeking for phase 2 is critical in correcting the course and finding profitable and sustainable solutions for our ag sector.

Adams County is squarely in the middle of that story. Our 500+ farm entities sit at the heart of the Columbia Basin, producing potatoes, wheat, hay, cattle, eggs, milk and numerous other specialty crops that move through the same strained infrastructure, the same volatile trade markets, and the same labor pressures the report documents statewide.

If you farm, work in ag, process food, or simply care about keeping Adams County's agricultural economy intact, your perspective belongs in this report. It takes 10-15 minutes.

This is the input that shapes what WSDA brings to the Legislature.

Find all three surveys and the phase 1 report at agr.wa.gov. Take 15 minutes. Make the data better. Strong ag is good for all of us.

The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) recognizes the critical role that profitability, sustainability and responsible land stewardship play in the success of Washington’s agricultural industry. We acknowledge that farmers, ranchers, and agricultural businesses are confronting both ...

04/16/2026

Got stopped by a tractor in the middle of Benge-Winona / Endicott Rd right on the Adams County and Whitman County border, en route to a meeting with the Port of Whitman.

The tractor was centered in the lane on the crest of a hill with his flashers on, so I assumed he was providing pilot services for an even larger tractor.

Wrong. Shortly after pulling over into the conveniently located culvert and field access, a couple hundred head of sheep crested the hill. They meandered on by, filling the entire width of the rural county road, completely unfazed by my car or my phone sticking out the window to capture some footage. I see a lot of cows. Sheep is not a common sight for me.

Agriculture is the cornerstone of Adams (and Whitman) County. Unfortunately, that cornerstone industry is feeling immense pressure and financial strains. I wouldn’t stop them to ask their thoughts on the financial outlook of the industry. That would be weird. How many times can they answer the same question anyway? I waved hello, they said thanks for waiting, and we both carried on our respective ways.

I know ag is facing a really tough time right now, across most sectors. We can acknowledge it, but it feels that acknowledgement isn’t enough. Ag continues to face internal and external threats, yet our farmers, ranchers, and producers show up each day and give it their all to produce the agricultural commodities that our economy, county, state, nation, and world depend on.

Working to explore economic opportunities that complement ag is fundamental to ACDC. We want ag to thrive, and when it can’t thrive, we want it to be supported.

We have the land. We have the workforce. We have the utilities. We have the strategic location. Complementary diversification is vital to building a strong and resilient Adams County economy.

The sheep were available for comment, but no useful data was acquired.

03/27/2026

Water! We have it, economic development and agriculture need it, and we can always do better about how we utilize it.

Last week I was part of a panel of Ports and EcDev leaders at the Columbia Basin Sustainable Water Coalition's monthly meeting. The topic for the day: How do economic growth and water security align?

That question is not abstract for Adams County. Water availability for economic growth is not just a nice thing to have, it’s fundamental. When our existing businesses look to expand, and when site selectors evaluate the area for a new site, water infrastructure either qualifies you or removes you from the list before the conversation gets any further. Water in the Columbia Basin has been an active conversation for longer than any of us reading this have been around, coming up on 100 years since Grand Coulee Dam was started. The underground aquifers in the Columbia Basin coupled with the surface water available from the Columbia Basin Project (CBP) are a genuine competitive asset, but assets only translate into advantages when they're paired with the infrastructure and policy framework to deploy them.

The City of Othello, Washington is taking an active role in this. Othello is leading the charge for the Columbia Basin with its Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) project, an innovative approach that treats CBP surface water and injects it back into the aquifer for storage and later use. This project is a heavy lift that requires partners at every level: local, regional, state and federal. The ASR project is what keeps Othello competitive for our residents, our ag producers, our local businesses, and our food processors. It also serves as the first-of-its-kind for all of Washington State as we look to new technology to sustainably use this precious water resource.

Conversations like the CBSWC panel put the right people in the same room. Our Ports and ADOs work individually (and often competitively) on their individual business projects and site selection inquiries, but we work collaboratively on issues of regional importance. County lines, Port District and City boundaries merely exist as surface-level lines on a map: Our aquifers go well beyond these lines. Working collaboratively for strong regional solutions that affect all of us is the best path forward, as we are all intricately connected to this vital underground resource.

ACDC operates on multiple fronts, and one of them is to make sure that all of Adams County is represented at opportunities like these. Representation without follow-through is just attendance. ACDC is here to make sure that every meeting and conversation like last week translates into tangible solutions for Adams County. Water-secure economic development is our focus.

Thank you to the regional partners for presenting alongside me. Port of Othello, Port of Moses Lake, Grant County EDC, Columbia Basin Conservation District, Washington State Department of Commerce. Water (and electricity) has shaped the history of our area, and as we implement sustainable, innovative solutions, it will write the history of what is yet to come.

02/26/2026

Othello made it to Washington D.C. this week!

Mayor Ken Johnson, Grant Writer and Administrator Sarah Montemayor, Port of Othello Director Chris Faix, and I spent Tuesday in meetings with the offices of Senator Patty Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell, and Congressman Dan Newhouse.

This Washington is a long way from our Washington, so why fly to D.C. for a single day of meetings? I'll be honest, I 100% used to ask that same question. Sending people across the country for a handful of meetings felt hard to justify when our digital world exists. However, after multiple trips to DC in my years with ACDC, I have seen firsthand what happens when you show up in person. Familiarity with our elected officials and their legislative staff yields results. They remember our place, our projects, and now, our names.

Othello and Adams County are #1 to many of us, but the cold reality is we are just one of 39 counties in Washington and just one of 281 cities. In fact, the Othello population puts us at #95 of the 281 cities, and Countywide we are #31 of 39 counties. These facts illustrate why it’s important to be present in DC in person: If we don’t build and maintain these connections that help set us apart, we are simply playing a numbers game that would not yield results. Hope is not a gameplan. Traveling to advocate for ourselves brings back results to our residents, to our businesses, and to all of Adams County that elevates us and allows us to continue to pursue thoughtful and well-planned growth.

Relationships built over multiple visits and consistent follow-through are what move federal dollars from DC to our City and County. While existing federal dollars are already being put to work, we were there to ask for more by continuing to advocate for projects that have been elevated to the top of our priority list.

The City of Othello, Washington, the Port of Othello, and Adams County Development Council sitting together at the same table sends a message that no email can. We are organized, aligned, and ready. Collaboration allows us to “punch above our weight” by showing a unified front.

We could send emails (we do) and make phone calls (we do). And while those are part of the process, staff in congressional offices receive thousands of both. Digital follow-through cannot replicate the value of sitting across the table from our electeds and their staff, talking through a project, and putting a face to a community of 9,150 people in city limits, and 18,000 in the entire panhandle who are reliant on the infrastructure and investments we were there to advocate for. The projects we were there to present will benefit our entire community, and neighboring communities in the Columbia Basin.

On Tuesday we made the case for long-term water security, critical transportation safety improvements, and the federal economic planning tools Adams County needs to compete for increased federal investment.

The value of just one day in D.C. with the right people in the room is often hard to quantify. When it yields federal investment dollars, as it has in recent years, the value becomes priceless. I am proud to see the collective results both the City of Othello and Adams County have had in recent years with our federal asks, and I look forward to the results of this year’s project asks.

I am extremely proud of this group and all of our local municipal and county leadership. Together, we continue to produce results for all of Adams County.

Business belongs in Adams County.

02/25/2026

Got to see a lot of the USA today from the sky, headed back from Washington D.C. after meetings with our elected Washington delegation to advocate for Othello and Adams County.

Window seats make air travel at least a little less painful. The unending blue of the Pacific Ocean. The overwhelming size of Los Angeles. The grandeur of the Grand Canyon cutting across the desert floor below. The proud peaks of the Colorado Rockies. And those are just the photos I took. Nothing puts the scale of this country into perspective quite like crossing it at 35,000 feet and a couple hundred miles per hour.

Just the same as Adams County can often feel far from Olympia, Washington State is truly far from Washington DC. It’s a long way: 2,140 miles from Ritzville and 2,178 miles from Othello to be exact. Our voice and those relationships matter in Olympia, and they matter in DC, so I make the trip.

You will find parts of Washington State everywhere in cross country travel. Standard airport food leaves a lot to be desired, but you can find french fries at nearly every terminal restaurant. For the fries that taste the best, there’s a better than reasonable chance they started their life in a field and were processed in Adams County and the surrounding Columbia Basin. I flew there and back (mostly) on a Boeing 737 built in Washington. The flights were operated by Alaska Airlines, headquartered in Washington.

Being in DC is always a good, if not slightly intimidating and overwhelming experience, and being there during the State of the Union added an extra level to those emotions.

Looking forward to sharing more photos and a recap from the trip tomorrow! Happy to be back in the (real) Washington.

02/19/2026

Today was the day for the Port of Othello’s new water tower groundbreaking! A new 125-ft tall, 200,000-gallon elevated water tower will rise in the heart of the Bruce Industrial Park on Port-owned property. This investment in our industrial utilities in Bruce represents a major leap forward for industrial capacity in the greater Othello panhandle.

Just 5 miles east of the City of Othello, Bruce is the heart of the industrial-zoned ground for the Othello panhandle of Adams County. The new water tower, overlooking the intersection of Lee and Booker roads, adds significant resiliency to the water system the existing tenants rely on, and paves the way for intentional industrial development on the several hundred acres of land available for sale and lease. With a combination of both light and heavy industrial zoning, this investment by the Port of Othello checks another important box in getting our industrial lands “shovel ready.”

What does this mean for Adams County? Existing businesses can grow, we can attract new businesses, and we add resiliency into our essential infrastructure. Access to industrial water is critical in adding family-wage careers and jobs to our area, and a meaningful boost to local tax revenue that funds the services we all rely on.

Thank you to the Port and their commissioners for taking on this project, and to J-U-B Engineers, Inc. and Apollo Inc for their professional services.

This project wouldn’t be possible without the support of the CERB - Community Economic Revitalization Board. CERB is supporting this project through a $1.25M grant and $3.75M low interest loan. It was May of 2023 when ACDC and the Port of Othello went to Olympia to present this very project to the CERB board for their approval.

The Othello area has distinct water towers, and this new one will stay true to that theme. Once complete, a giant purple onion will adorn the top of this tower. Not to be outdone, the existing grey water tower is going to be rehabbed, and a fresh coat of white paint will be applied, completed with a famous Othello potato. Othello will have the best water towers in Washington State!

Congratulations to the Port of Othello on Thursday's groundbreaking! We all benefit from this investment. We are actively working to attract more ag and industrial users to Bruce, because business belongs in Adams County!

02/05/2026

Spent today at the Spokane Ag Show. Thanks to fellow economic development organization Greater Spokane Incorporated for putting on this event!

This trade show is a visual reminder of just how complex modern agriculture is and highlights the breadth and depth of the industries that support agriculture; both directly and indirectly.

When we talk about farming, the connotation many of us associate with that term is not complex enough. I think all too often a lot of us, myself included, only see the big picture items. We can clearly see the combine and the tractor, we know when harvest is, when the potatoes and grain are coming off the field, and where the cows are in pastures throughout Adams County. We eat burgers with buns and a side of french fries, and know that this meal was produced from farming, but we don’t really understand the full story. Much like the advanced machines that power our farming operations, modern agriculture is a complex, multi-faceted industry.

You can also see the shift in practices and the continued application of technology into farming. In one corner of the floor, a 20,000 pound traditional self-propelled sprayer. In the other corner: A trailer with a fleet of heavy-lift drones that aim to serve the same function as the self-propelled, all while never touching the ground. Technology continues to be implemented in farming practices, and while it certainly can increase productivity, efficiency, and sustainability, the knowledge base required of our farmers and operators continues to expand.

Walking the show floor, you see firsthand just a glimpse of the ecosystem it takes to support modern ag. Today's farming requires input, collaboration, and reliance on many different industry clusters to support the production our modern world requires. Just at this show alone, you see a small sample of the economic inputs into farming, nearly all of which have a presence in Adams County: primary equipment and machinery alongside precision agriculture technology and automation. Parts suppliers and component manufacturers next to agricultural input providers and crop production specialists. Agronomy consultants and field services working with financial institutions and capital providers. Legal firms, insurance agencies, and risk management professionals supporting operations powered by energy utilities and infrastructure. Manufacturing and fabrication services connected to logistics, transportation, and storage companies. Even retail, consumer services, and the education and government agencies that support the entire network.

For ACDC and Adams County, this list of industries is why we are advocating outside our county borders to tell the powerful story of the economic machine that farming and agriculture are. It’s easy to forget, especially in Olympia and DC, that modern agriculture goes well beyond the final output commodity.

For those who don't work in agriculture, it's easy to see farmland and think the work is straightforward. The reality is far different. Today's farmers are agronomists, equipment operators, data analysts, business managers, and environmental stewards all at once. The range of knowledge required, and the capital investment needed, continues to grow every year.

It’s important to address the tough reality our farmers are facing: Washington state ranked last in farmer take home pay in 2024. There are a multitude of factors that contribute to this, but from Olympia to DC, I know we can do better to support the families at the core of this industry that is the backbone of our country. From national trade policies to state-level regulatory burdens: I encourage all of us to continue to advocate for our farmers and the agricultural ecosystem here, statewide, and nationally.

Part of ACDC’s role is advocating for policies that support agriculture at the state and federal level. The other part is working to ensure we have the economic diversity and resiliency to weather challenging periods in our ag industry. By working to attract and retain ag-adjacent and complementary industries that provide stable employment, opportunity, and alternate revenue-streams, we are reducing our overall economic risk and finding avenues and safety nets for our farming families. Economic development, especially in Adams County, is fundamental to the success and resiliency of our foundational ag economy.

Special shoutout to Adams County’s own Curtis and Erika Hennings on receiving this year’s Excellence in Ag award at the show!

01/30/2026

This week I went to Olympia for the AWB and WEDA legislative days and hill climbs. My perception of Olympia has changed dramatically since taking on this role at ACDC. Being from eastern Washington, Olympia has never been an easy place to get to, nor a destination for most of us. For a lot of us, you see it once for a tour to check the box and then check out.

Now, Olympia is central to my work for Adams County, Othello, Ritzville, Lind and Washtucna. When session is in, the events and the organized meetings that allow me to advocate as part of a group, and the individual meetings with our electeds and their staff are the reason I drive the 4.5 hour one-way drive across a mountain pass with variable winter conditions.

This is the start of the fifth legislative session while being at ACDC, and each time the most important point gets reiterated: Being there matters. The small, cramped office meetings lead to longer, more authentic conversations outside the sandstone and marble buildings. Familiarity builds connections. Connections create opportunity. Much like the agriculture that dominates the Adams County landscape, you can’t plant a seed and expect to harvest tomorrow. Just the same, these conversations don't yield results immediately. Patience, care, diligence (and for farming, a well timed rain or two) eventually yield positive results.

We are represented extremely well by our 9th district leaders. Keeping solid relationships with Mark, Joe, and Mary is paramount to our continued success. But, they're just 2% of the total legislative body. The other 144 legislators present both opportunity and, at times, challenges to our mission in Adams County.
I seek out conversations with legislators who don't represent us. Some understand rural Washington. Some probably only know Adams County from a speeding ticket on I-90 or SR26. Either way, my goal is to keep casting a wide network to elevate our 21,000 people and tell the Adams County story.

I know decisions coming out of Olympia can be frustrating for all of us. Right, wrong, or indifferent on those decisions: We are all in this state together. Washington needs to be competitive while protecting our citizens and navigating a constantly-evolving national and global system. That means bringing rural perspectives to people who may only see urban priorities, understanding urban needs that we don't always see from eastern Washington, and finding the opportunity in the structure that exists for us. It means educating both ways.

Effort and showing up eventually yield results. Not immediately. Not every time. But over time, they do. For Adams County, I will keep pursuing intentional growth opportunities and legislation that facilitates that growth.

Thank you to Senator Torres and Senator Schoesler for bringing me down on the floor to experience a little bit of the behind-the-scenes action.