2017 Chairman of the Board: Jeffrey S. Hurd
Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe, P.C.
The Grand Junction Area Chamber is not a building, it’s not a staff, and it’s not a Board. The Chamber is YOU, the business owners and managers who invest in our organization every year because you believe in the Chamber’s mission of promoting a strong economy and serving as the voice of business. And it is the people in your businesses who you allow to volunteer for various Chamber initiatives critical to that mission. Without you there is no Chamber of Commerce.
As the Chamber Board prepares for its annual planning session in early November, it is critical that we hear from you! That is why we are conducting an online membership survey this month. The survey was developed and will be administered by the Western Association of Chamber Executives: keep an eye out for it (and check in your junk mail folder if you don’t get it), as the survey will come directly from the Western Association of Chamber Executives.
We greatly value your honest feedback—good and bad—as well as any suggestions you may have. Hearing from our members through this survey is one of the important ways we know if we are on track, off track, or side-tracked.
We also recognize that with the size and diversity of our membership, there may not be complete agreement on anything we do (or don’t do). But we hope to at least get the pulse of what matters to you as business people in the Grand Valley. And even if your view is not the prevailing view, it is still important and we value it.
As Chairman of the Chamber Board, I have consistently emphasized the importance of having a diversity of opinions both within our membership and on our Board. It makes for richer conversation and more thoughtful decision making. But that means we need to hear from all of you. I urge you to take just a few minutes to help us determine the future direction of this Chamber.
Speaking of other ways in which you have a voice, November’s election is fast approaching. I would encourage you to review the voters’ guide in this month’s newsletter. It contains the Chamber’s positions on the various candidates and issues that you will see on this November’s ballot. And by all means, please take time to vote! The majority of School Board seats are up for election, and key ballot questions affecting K-12 education and public safety will be decided by those who take the time to exercise this important right as citizens.
Your voice can make a difference, but only if you tell us what is on your mind by completing the survey and by voting in this election.
Click here to download full version of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce October 2017 Newsletter.