That question is often posed among various chambers of commerce, challenging us to ensure we are meeting the needs of our constituents and fulfilling our mission. |
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For some chambers, if they sponsor a successful community affair that draws hundreds of people to the community, and the visitors in turn spend money in that community then the obvious answer to that question would be “Yes.”
However, sometimes the measure of success is not so obvious. If a chamber organization is focused on promoting and strengthening the business community as a whole through strategic partner alliances, creating pro-business public policies, and shaping legislation to drive business and the economy forward, then a clear-cut benchmark of success may be harder to define.
Indeed no two chambers are alike, but we share a common mission: to advocate for the interests of our members and promote our communities.
The Niagara USA Chamber is charged with the unique responsibility of being the countywide chamber. Our staff and our Board of Directors are continuously working on behalf of our members and the business community as a whole to let their voices be heard. To be relevant we have to keep our membership informed and aware of issues and be at the forefront of affecting change.
This important work is not done solely on the local level. We work continuously with public officials on the local, state and federal levels to ensure the collective voice of our business chamber is not ignored. We collaborate with them to develop and support legislation to enhance the business climate and to retain and create jobs. Conversely, we will voice opposition to legislation that threatens sustainability and job growth.
Like many businesses we serve, chambers place emphasis on efforts that are most critical during the course of their fiscal year. This year it has been imperative that we focus on protecting business interests on all three levels of government. We can never lose track of what drives our economy and what we as a chamber can do to provide support for the sustainability of growth in the business community.
In doing so we resoundingly answer the original question, “Are we relevant to our members and the community?”:
Yes, we are!
– Deanna Alterio Brennen
President & CEO
Niagara USA Chamber
