Late Wednesday night, May 11th, the Colorado House and Senate adjourned, until the next legislative session in 2023. The final days of the session were plagued with gridlock and indecisiveness. This 2022 legislative session introduced over 600 pieces of legislation and with it, many bills that will be detrimental to the business community throughout Colorado….
Recent efforts have begun by the City of Grand Junction to update Zoning and Development Code (Z&DC) in addition to updates to the Landscaping Ordinances which are set to be completed soon. These updates are vital to support the growth and development priorities that were identified as a community by the recently adopted One Grand…
In rural communities such as ours, it takes everyone rowing in the same direction to accomplish significant tasks, which alone one person may not be able to pull off. Community and Economic Development is conducted by community members – that means all of us. It is a process where local people can create more jobs,…
On April 26th, Diane Schwenke was honored with the The Joseph C. Prinster Leadership Award at the Grand Junction Economic Partnership Annual Economic Summit. This award is given to an individual who has had a profound impact on the regional economy and has demonstrated exceptional drive, adaptability and leadership characteristics. Diane denotes, “It is such…
Our business community has persevered over the past few years in the face of the pandemic. As we move out of those uncertain times and refocus on the future of our Valley, many topics continue to keep our business owners and stakeholders up at night. From workforce challenges, child care shortages, and affordable housing questions,…
The YEA! students are students ages 11 to 18 and are taught by local entrepreneurs and are introduced to guest lecturers, successful entrepreneurs, and business mentors. During the course of the program, students have created their own business plan, pitched their business plan, and now they will unveil their business at a trade show. This…
You’ve heard quite a bit from me lately as we move toward the selection of new staff leadership at the Chamber. That is because you are part of the Chamber team. I’ve been reminded these past few weeks that a strong team is a key to a strong organization like our Chamber. It is the…
The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce championed the creation of a local leadership training program for mid to upper-level business managers 30 years ago. The purpose of the Chamber offering such a program was to encourage business participation on boards, commissions, and to be more active in public policy development – including running for…
It wasn’t all that long ago that a career centers’ main focus on college campuses was to assist students with resumes, help them draft a cover letter and work through mock interviews. Although those are important tools for a student’s toolbox, the question on every student’s mind come graduation is “now what?” True to form,…