Hello, and a belated Happy New Year from your Chamber board chair!

As we move further into 2020, we want to say, first and foremost, thank you for your membership. Your continued support is appreciated by all of us at The Chamber, and helps us further our mission of being a leader in advocacy, education and engagement.

The end of 2019 was admittedly a tough time for our Chamber and our region as we mourned the loss of our leader Craig Whitney. It is because of Craig, and his leadership and vision, that The Chamber has been so successful in many of its efforts over the past 10 years. Craig left a lasting mark on our community through his involvement and high expectations of Chamber events, programs and initiatives, and dedication to advocating for our region. Without a doubt, Craig imparted real, lasting change for our metro. We all remember him fondly and miss him greatly.

Rest assured though The Chamber staff and board are as committed as ever to continuing to serve you, and that we will continue on. We will be working hard for FMWF businesses, following through on our strategic goals and serving our members, while honoring Craig’s legacy. And we’ll be looking for similar qualities in the next Chamber leader.

We just hosted our first signature event of the year, State of the Cities. It’s always a terrific way to kick off a new year, and it was exciting to hear what our area mayors are working on. Find the full event recap on the next page of this Bridge!

There’s more to come, too. The annual Economic Outlook Forum is sure to once again help businesses understand national trends and stay competitive. ChamberChoice applications are now open, and these awards are a fantastic way of recognizing the leaders and up-and-comers in our community. Corporate Cup and the Chamber Challenge Golf Outing will be here before we know it.

We hope that you see continued success in this new year, and that your 2020 is off to a stellar start. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Tom Dawson, Dawson Insurance
Chair, Chamber Board of Directors