When I told friends that I was going to be president of the Evanston Chamber of Commerce I got different reactions. Those who owned businesses were congratulatory and thought it was cool. Those who didn’t asked if I could get their alleys plowed.

This got me to thinking about what the Chamber means to business people like us and what it means to our friends and neighbors. So I thought I would share with you my thoughts on that and ask for your support in fulfilling our mission over the next year.

For those of us who are members, we know the value of the Chamber. We see what the Chamber is doing and the issues it takes on to encourage a strong business climate in Evanston. Sometimes it might seem like we are alone in this. But if you listen to the debate around development in our city, you hear that people really do value the business community and really want creative, innovative and successful businesses to thrive in Evanston. This is mission of the Chamber of Commerce and it is a value shared by residents and businesses a like.

I’ve been to a number of public meetings where I hear a lot of ideas from people how to improve Evanston. I am encouraged by the willingness of the Chamber Staff, the Board of Directors and the Members to find new ways to positively shape the quality of Evanston. We are effectively partnering with our legislators and city managers on public policy issues and future development opportunities that effect the business environment. Our sponsorship of cultural, community and charitable events is an important piece in enhancing the Evanston community and making Evanston a great place to live work and play. Again, a goal we all share.

As one of its founders, I want to brag about one of these initiatives: The Young Professionals of Evanston. This group represents the future business owners, residents and leaders of Evanston. YPE reaches out to young professionals who live, work or play here and gives them a chance to connect with our business, social and cultural groups. It is growing, has brought fresh ideas to the Chamber and a activated new voice in our city. I’d like to point out and introduce the new president of YPE, David Fisher, as well as the members of the YPE Steering Committee. I strongly encourage any of you who have Young Professionals in your organizations to check out YPE and get your organization involved. Again this is another way we are generating real energy and connections in our community.

I believe the Chamber is an effective organization because of members like you who support it and get involved. The value of our membership and the way we fulfill our mission is by the connections we make and the way we follow up on them. Be it doing business together, learning from each other, referring business to each other or working together on projects and issues we are passionate about. We all have a stake in this place and I believe that the Chamber gives us the opportunity to step up in our community.

I tell people that my Chamber membership is one of the best investments my company has ever made. Not only because I have grown my business but because I think my involvement has made me a better community member and a better citizen.

So my answer to my friends is “NO, I can’t get your alley plowed!” But I can talk to them about what is being done about streets and traffic around town. I can talk to them about how things get done in the City and more importantly what they can do to get involved. I tell them that I am working with other like-minded people to make sure that Evanston continues to be a great place for business to get done, as well as a great place to live and play. I think that is a better use of my time than pushing some snow around.

So what are we going to do over the next year? A good question is what are you going to do over the next year? The Chamber will set the stage for you. We will still have the monthly Networking Breakfasts, the Business After Hours, the Home-Based Business Lunches and we will still have the annual Golf Outing, Legislative Outlook Breakfast, the Mayor’s State of the City Lunch and we will still host the wonderful Fountain Square Arts Festival. We will still work on public policy issues and support community and charitable events, so that won’t change. For you there is a lot of opportunity with our organization. What I hope will happen over this next year is that as you continue your support and your involvement with the Chamber, you also encourage others to get involved and join our efforts to make Evanston a great place to live, work and have fun in. I really look forward to doing that with you.

Thank you for listening and for your support.