The opportunity to serve you, as President of the Seminole Chamber of Commerce, is truly an honor. As a Chamber, I look forward to achieving membership growth by helping to develop new programs that will benefit existing members and attracting new members. One of the ways that I see growing the membership is to begin immediately contacting those businesses, of which Seminole has close to 700, that are not currently members and/or revisiting those who may have let their membership expire. Membership is where I see the greatest strength, because we are able to build on diversity. We have to reach out and not take status quo attitude as acceptable. Currently, we are at a membership count of around 365; with our membership close to 500 at one time, you can see by these numbers there are many opportunities for growth. I encourage each and every one of us to bring in just one new member.
The Seminole Chamber can also achieve new heights by working together and reaching out to each other. We have a number of committees that each of us can volunteer for, and if we invite just one person to become involved with one of our committees, we will increase our opportunity for growth. The old adage, "many hands make for light work" certainly is true. Believing is half the battle and together we can achieve great things. Our Ambassador Committee is one of the best committees to get involved with because it is a committee that meets and greets all new members, and creates a synergy that is so important to the entire Seminole community. It is our responsibility to reach out to make everyone feel comfortable and a part of our great membership organization. We need to be what we profess to be--"a warm and open Chamber." Opportunities abound in networking with other members. A number of us have side talents--lets share them with those that have joined us.
Another idea that I would like to see us develop is between our youth and our Chamber. Growth occurs with new ideas and where better to get fresh new ideas than through our school system? I would like for our Student Body to participate in our Chamber activites. Programs such as Seminole Sings!, Miss Seminole Scholarship Pageant, and "Bright Before Your Eyes" Holiday Night Parade are a few programs that involve our youth and our Chamber. By honoring our teachers at "Tribute to Teachers," we are showing our youth that we are not just interested in business and economic development, but in sharing our respect for those who have dedicated to strengthening our community through education. And we must also remember as the school year winds down, to volunteer for Kids Appreciation Day. Keep the "Synergy of Seminole" moving by coming up with new fresh ideas and commitment in 2007.
Our dedicated staff is here to assist you in any way they can. Please never forget they are only a phone call away.
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