Article by Judy Vue

discover_burienHe only started his job on Nov. 1, but Steve Gilbert glows with optimism at the prospect of working in Burien.

The self-proclaimed optimist was hired as the new executive director for Discover Burien, an organization that works with the city of Burien, the local chamber and local businesses on issues concerning the local economy and business environment.

Discover Burien is in a small suite on Southwest 150th Street, equipped with a copy machine, a few tables, a cabinet and not much else.

Gilbert normally answers his own phone. Occasionally, volunteers come in to assist with administrative duties.

His main job is at the consulting firm, the Northwest Business Intelligence Group. Gilbert calls himself a “construction brat.” His father was heavily involved in construction projects that moved Gilbert’s family around the country during his childhood.

Gilbert has lived in Connecticut, North Dakota, Texas, Alaska and Ohio, but when he came to Washington, things were different.

“I absolutely fell in love with Puget Sound,” he said. He first settled in the Western Washington area in the mid 1980s, attending the Evergreen State College in Olympia, where he graduated with a business and marketing degree.

From there, his background has spanned fields such as economic development, real estate brokerage and even running his own small business in the form of a wholesale pastry shop in Redmond in the early 1990s.

Even though Gilbert’s position with Discover Burien is only on a part time basis, he still gushes as much enthusiasm as one would expect for a full time position.

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