Matthew Breman, 2016 Chairman of the Board
It is hard to believe how quickly this year seems to be flying by. The Annual Banquet is already behind us, energy briefings are underway, we have a number of ribbon cuttings under our belt and as I write this, the legislative trip is just days away. Although these events are just part of what your Grand Junction Chamber offers its members, they are part of the much larger Chamber goal of being the voice of business and economic development.
The goal of economic development is ultimately why I volunteered to be on the Chamber board. I am passionate about our community and enjoy working with others that share a common goal of making Grand Junction and the entire Western Slope a better and more prosperous place for what we call home. All of us that are working towards the goal of economic development face a number of challenges, and unfortunately there is no silver bullet or just that “one thing” that will guarantee success. Rather, economic development is often a series of small wins that when combined, make for a much larger win for everyone.
Starting next month, your Chamber will be launching the first Listening To Business of 2016. The goal of this program is to gather business people in similar industries for a series of round table discussions. These “round tables” are a forum with the purpose of identifying current and future obstacles that prevent growth in businesses. These obstacles may vary from industry to industry, but once an obstacle can be clearly articulated, the process of developing a strategy to help clear the obstacle becomes easier to develop. It is unrealistic to think that your Chamber can clear all the obstacles that an industry might face or that it will happen overnight, however, the Chamber can help clear the path of some of these challenges and create a series of smaller wins to help businesses grow. By your Chamber assisting a business or industry to create new jobs, make capital investments, lesson the impact of regulations or even make employees feel more connected to our community will create a positive ripple effect through the community.
With networking and marketing opportunities, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, the Governmental Affairs Committee, Leadership Class, Emerging Workforce and now Listening To Business 2016, your Chamber will continue to use all its resources working towards being the voice of business and helping people grow their business.
Matthew Breman, Chairman
Click here to download full version of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce March 2016 Newsletter.