Jeff Franklin, 2015 Chairman of the Board
March will be a very busy month for the Chamber in its role as the voice of business. We start the month off on March 5th and 6th with the annual trip to the State Capitol and I’m pleased to announce that we will have representatives from the Fruita, Palisade and Delta Chambers going with the 40 or so of us from the Grand Junction Area Chamber.
This is where we have the opportunity for small group discussions about issues that matter to us with not just our local delegation but lawmakers and policy makers from throughout the state. If this is something that you might be interested in doing in the future and you don’t have a reservation yet, it may be too late to join us. However, mark your calendars for the 2016 trip. We begin publicizing the trip in December and almost always schedule it for the first week of March.
Once we are back from the Capitol it is time to turn our attention to our local City Council election. I know it can seem somewhat unexciting with three of the incumbent candidates running unopposed but we do have two contested at large seats that will be decided. And, with a board of seven, every individual serving on City Council is important to the future of the community, the economy and your continued business success. I hope many of you will plan to attend the Quarterly Chamber Membership Meeting on March 16th where these candidates will be vetted. We will also have two ballot issues that can impact our businesses to decide this spring. Both are focused on infrastructure development for transportation and broadband which are key to economic development. To view our candidate guide and more about these issues and the candidates, download the 2015 Voter Guide at www.gjchamber.org.
And, once you are informed please vote. We have the privilege of living in a country that embraces free enterprise and values the involvement of all its citizens. We also have a responsibility that accompanies that privilege. There is no voice of business without business owners and employees participating wherever they can in the government process, including voting.
I would also like to thank all of the businesses and attendees that participated in the New Member Showcase in February. I enjoyed visiting with the new members that had displays and learning more about their businesses. If you were not able to make it, please introduce yourself to the new members at future Chamber functions to welcome them to our organization.
Hoping as your thoughts turn to spring that your cash registers ring!
Jeff Franklin, Chairman