Alice Clark, the Executive Director for the Downtown Bellingham Partnership has been chosen as the Grand Marshal for the 10th annual Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 16, 2019.

The Grand Marshal is carefully selected to lead the parade every year as someone who exemplifies leadership values, a dedication to community and an overall positive attitude. Prior to her position at the Downtown Bellingham Partnership, Clark worked for 13 years at the Pickford Film Center as Director. Working with these non-profits has helped her to see the developments of Bellingham as it’s grown into a larger community.

“Community can be seen as a gauge of the health of a city,” Clark said. “When there is a strong sense of community, then really good things trickle out of that like support for businesses and for each other. It really feels like everyone wants everyone to succeed here, and you can sense that feeling of camaraderie and support for each other.”

Clark has lived in Bellingham since 1980. Through her work with non-profits, and supplemented by experiences of her own, she has become very familiar with the people, places and values of the city. Right now she is working on how to help Bellingham as it inevitably grows as a city and community, as well as focusing on how to maintain the authenticity of its spirit.

“Bellingham is a very authentic place. It’s not perfect but it’s real and I really appreciate that,” Clark said. “I know that community is in my DNA and I feel compelled to bring people together. I’m a firm believer that we can co-create the community of downtown to make it what we want it to be.”

The Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade is on Saturday, March 16 this year and is a city-wide free event. Clark will lead the parade as the Grand Marshal starting at 12 p.m. on Cornwall Avenue in front of Bellingham High School and ending at Boundary Bay Brewery. Don’t forget to wear your green.

Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade is a nonprofit, community-wide event honoring all local public safety personnel by celebrating and inspiring sustainability in the hope of making our city a cleaner, greener, safer place we call home.