As we find ourselves at the beginning of another year and chapter for our community, businesses and lives, it is a unique time to look back, celebrate all that has been achieved and look ahead to all we must accomplish together. 

I am consistently inspired by the collective strength we embody as a community and our attitudes toward working together, forming impactful partnerships, solving our most significant challenges and building a vibrant FMWF metro. As we approach Giving Hearts Day 2024, I want to express the profound importance of our non-profit organizations, their pivotal role in our region and the significance of businesses and individuals supporting these invaluable organizations and missions.

Let's continue actively engaging with these organizations, collaborating on initiatives and fostering a culture of support and commitment. For example, I am proud to share that our Chamber team members serve on over 50 non-profit boards and committees in FMWF and continually seek ways to volunteer as a team, collaborate and give back to these organizations. In this Bridge magazine, you will see the numerous Chamber member businesses stepping up and engaging in our community's success and non-profit impact.

The Chamber has been actively collaborating with dozens of non-profit organizations, state agencies, educators and businesses to address our workforce challenges. This community-centric approach has brought numerous leaders and organizations together for the first time, enhancing our collective knowledge and expertise, and accelerating our comprehensive solutions for our region's workforce landscape. Intentional partnerships are at the core of our success, impact and progress with our work, and especially the Good Jobs Challenge Grant, which is now in Phase two and focuses on program design. This means our industry sector partners are identifying the skills they need for a successful workforce, and we then develop training to place 900 upskilled individuals in quality jobs throughout our region.

2024 holds several major initiatives and goals for our Chamber and business community. Here are just three new, impactful programs to watch develop this year:

• Comprehensive Growth Plan for our region: Increasing the economic vitality and competitiveness of our region through the establishment of a collaborative, comprehensive roadmap.
• Center for Civic Engagement: Inspiring engagement, cultivating business-friendly candidates and educating individuals to increase our community’s civic engagement and ensure our business community is well-representative throughout government.
• Community Concierge Program: Curating experiences so your candidates and new hires, along with their families, have a sense of belonging and feel at home in FMWF.

The Chamber is here to be a catalyst for growth and prosperity, and we look forward to another year of accomplishment together, creating a collective impact and generating solutions to our greatest challenges.