Clay Tufly, Alpine Bank
2018 Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board
The Chamber Board has its annual planning session on November 9th to plan the future direction of the Chamber in 2019 and beyond. In preparation for that day we survey you, the members, to determine your priorities and garner your feedback on where we’ve been and where you may want us to go. My sincere thanks to the over 200 members that took time out of your busy workdays to complete that survey. This is just one of the many opportunities that are available to convey your thoughts about what is in essence YOUR organization and how we can serve you better throughout the year.
There were some surprises and changes from previous years. On the first question which asked “what keeps you up at night?’, both health care costs and the shortage of qualified workers tied for the top issue. The state of the overall economy has scored high in the past but due to improving economic conditions that concern was ranked fourth behind Government Regulations and the overall direction of the federal government.
Respondents have been unwavering in their top reason for joining the Chamber, which is to help promote economic growth. Networking with other businesses came in a distant second. Promoting economic growth and being a voice of local business is our mission statement and it is reassuring that the results continue to represent the commitment in those areas as primary reasons for membership in the Chamber
Helping existing businesses grow and job creation, along with being the voice of business with government were the top answers for what the priority of the organization should be as we move into 2019.
In addition to the “pick one” questions there were also multiple opportunities for respondents to directly address the board with their thoughts on what “One” thing would help their businesses grow in 2019 and what other subjects they would like the board to consider in the coming year. I won’t go into the details here but I want to assure you all that each and every comment, suggestions and yes, criticism, will be shared with board members.
We know that we are your representatives and stewards of the Chamber for a very short time. That point was driven home when earlier this month the Aspinall Building time capsule from 1918 was opened and copies of the Chamber’s materials and work plan from 100 years ago were revealed. While we are here, we want to truly serve your needs and help build a stronger business climate and local economy. On behalf of the entire board of directors I want to thank you for the honor to serve you in this special way.