The holiday season is always a favorite time of year, as it provides time to pause and reflect. As we look at our chamber and our community, there is much to be proud of and thankful for. We continue to see growth and successes in our metro economy, small business support, educational environment, entrepreneurial ecosystem, workforce solutions and pride for this great region we call home.

Within our chamber, we have had another incredible year. We hosted some of our largest events ever in 2019, starting with Rachel Hollis at Women Connect in January and ending with the recent 10th anniversary Voices of Vision with Peyton Manning. We launched new programs, which seem to be resonating positively with the community, from the Professionals of Color, to the Education committee, and worked to reinvigorate things like Business After Hours and membership opportunities. The start of our most recent fiscal year also marked efforts toward a new three-year strategic plan, which you’ll find listed to your left.

One major accomplishment we saw come to fruition was our partnership with the Economic Development Corporation for the launch and announcement of the regional Fueling Our Future initiative. As the work has only just begun, they have already been evaluating solutions in the three focus areas of people, prosperity and place. The initiative has been and continues to be engaged in many projects, including supporting career academies, working toward certified shovel-ready site selection and establishing a business accelerator.

As we set out to achieve our vision for 2020 and beyond, we hope to continue providing relevant programming, events, benefits and opportunities for our membership and professionals in  the region. We are focused on serving the interests of our community through Fueling Our Future and the work of all our committees guided by hundreds of dedicated volunteers.

We believe in the power of our region. One region, one community in which we all work together in support of the greater good, without division between cities or a river. This regional approach will propel us all forward and help us truly tackle the challenges that lay ahead. Thank you for your support thus far. We look forward to another prosperous year ahead. Cheers!