Wow! Is it 2019 already? Hard as it is to believe, a new year is starting and with a new year comes new opportunities. I am honored to serve as your Chairman of the Board and frankly relieved that I have such a great team in the Chamber Board of Directors and staff to aid me…
What is the Chamber good for? We often get asked that question by businesses contemplating becoming members. Primary research conducted at the direction of the Western Association of Chamber Executives several years ago demonstrated that businesses look to their local chambers of commerce to engage in five key areas aimed at helping their individual businesses…
In 2019 the Chamber will have several committees to do the work outlined in the 2019 Business Plan. Any employee of a Chamber member is welcome to serve on committees that are accepting new members. Shown below are the In 2019 the Chamber will have several committees to do the work outlined in the 2019…
According to Dr. Richard Wobbekind, head of the Business Research Division in the Leeds School of Business, Colorado University, “The Mesa County economy is performing extremely well.” Insights into why the economy is stronger and what the economy may look like in 2019 were presented at the Chamber’s Annual Economic Outlook luncheon in December. With…
We are ready, are you? Mesa County became the first county in the state of Colorado to be certified a Work Ready Community by utilizing the Work Keys Assessment tool to determine the skill levels of our emerging and transitioning workforce along with our unemployed. This certification needs to be reapplied for every two years…
A collaboration between the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce and the Mesa County Workforce Center was recognized by the Colorado Workforce Development Council and Colorado Department of Labor with a special recognition award for Excellence in Apprenticeships. Through a collaborative, the organizations have teamed up to tackle workforce development needs in Mesa County. The…
It’s full steam ahead for our 11 YEA! student who, within just a couple of months, are already well on their way to becoming the CEO’s of their own companies! Over the course of the last month, our young entrepreneurs have taken a deep dive in creating a business plan and finalized their business ideas….
Last month a new class of 11 young entrepreneurs, ranging in age from 11-18 years old, began their journey to become CEOs of their very own companies. We would like to recognize this year’s YEA! class and future CEOs: Lillian Bittle (Home Schooled) Toly Chinn (Redlands Middle School) Astreae White-Flint (Fruita 8-9) Samuel Grover (Central…
As employers struggle to recruit, retain and train the workforce they need for today, many of them are also looking at the need to develop a talent pipeline. The demographics of the overall workforce will force businesses to be more creative and collaborative in developing our local talent. In Mesa County we already have a…
The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce will kick off its Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) on Tuesday, October 9th with 10 students ranging in age from 11- 18 years old, with a keen drive to launch and run their own, real businesses. The after-school enrichment program attracts the best and brightest students who will receive…