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What is the Chamber for?

By DANIEL J. HEITZENRATER

President and CEO of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce

Shortly after I came to the Chamber of Commerce in July, I wrote an article for a publication that was devoted to the work of the chamber over the past year and the award recipients we recently recognized.

That article was titled “E Pluribus Unum,” our national motto which means “Out of many, one.” This motto fits the chamber at a membership level, but also organizationally given the history of numerous smaller chambers across Chautauqua County coming together into one. To this day the countywide Chamber has six community chamber committees, devoted to the work that meets their individual needs. But speaking to that model is only part of the equation. To better understand our purpose and value, you must consider our mission.

On paper, our mission is to create a business environment in the region where our members can thrive. This statement is very simple and concise. As the new President/CEO it has been great to learn about what the chamber is for, and I look forward to further exploring and defining this question as an organization in the coming months. But I recently took the question back to our team and asked them “What is the chamber for?” Let me share some of those answers with you.

The first response I received is best summed up that the chamber is for businesses. Thus, we should be the place where a business will immediately go for assistance with various business-related issues and serve as a voice to open channels of communications between businesses and amongst our community. Another response echoed that the chamber is the “Go-to” organization for businesses and serves as the “spark plug” to help ignite a successful business community.

A common theme was about the chamber being for the community. One team member described this in the context of the business community, connecting businesses with each other and helping to promote a business and their products throughout the county. Another spoke to the chamber being for our communities in the more general sense of our neighborhoods, cities, villages, and towns. The chamber takes an interest in all aspects of the community and helps engage business owners by providing opportunities for local events and initiatives that benefit both the business community and the town.

The last response I received again circled back to the nature of the collective model of the Chamber which is the concept that we all are stronger and do better when we work together. Simply put, the Chamber of Commerce is for our members, and by virtue of this we are for our communities.

What can the camber do for your business or organization? We can connect you with others, help make your business better known, help to drive traffic and sales for your company, provide cost-saving and important tools to assist with insurance and human resources compliance, and collectively we can make sure our communities and our county are moving in a positive direction economically. We invite all businesses to reach out if you want to talk further about the vital role of the Chamber of Commerce in our communities.

EXPERIENCE MAYVILLE EVENING WITH THE CHAMBER

Enjoy an evening in Mayville with the Chamber of Commerce. The Chautauqua County and Mayville-Community Chambers of Commerce invite you to save the date for a double-header evening November 18!

usiness After Hours with the Chamber will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Business After Hours is a fun social event and is free for two representatives from any Chamber member business, or just $15 for non-members. Enjoy networking, appetizers, and a cash bar. This Business After Hours event is sponsored by DFT Communications, Media One Radio Group, OBSERVER, and The Post-Journal.

The Mayville-Chautauqua Community Chamber Committee will follow up with its annual Awards Dinner starting at 6:30pm. Advanced registration will be required for dinner.

Watch for more details to be announced soon for these back-to-back events, including venues and more. Save the date: November 18!

PAM LYDIC COALITION BUILDER AWARD NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors will accept nominations for the Pam Lydic Coalition Builder Award until November 1. This award recognizes an individual in the region who has worked hard to bring groups of people together around a common goal or objective. This award is presented to an individual that has helped move the region forward in a positive direction through collaboration and by building partnerships. The award is particularly focused on those who have done their work consistently and often times in the background. A typical awardee would be an ‘unsung hero’ in the community. It is named in memory of Pam Lydic, the first President/CEO of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce. The award will be presented during the Chamber’s Annual Meeting, December 3.

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