GMCC Media Room
Important Chamber Announcement
December 15, 2011
Dear Chamber members,
Today, I make the bittersweet announcement that 2012 will be my final year as president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and Thrive, the eight-county Madison Region economic development partnership. While I love what I’m doing, the timing makes sense for both organizations.
Looking out a year allows for a smooth transition. It also happens to be a pivotal moment in time for both organizations as we prepare to implement Advance Now, a roadmap to guide economic development priorities and investments in the Madison Region for the next five years.
Because the Chamber will be a strong partner in the implementation of this initiative, it seems now is the time to bring the GMCC and Thrive boards together, with additional respected voices from around the region, to revisit the mission and governance of both organizations. That discussion will take place on February 2 with the leadership search process beginning later that month based on the determined governance structures.
It’s very satisfying to know that we have great teams in place and that the organizations are well positioned for the future. While I plan to stay very engaged in a range of initiatives, overseeing this transition will be my most important work next year.
My decision to retire at the end of 2012 also provides the opportunity to reflect on the great accomplishments we’ve made together at the GMCC over the past several years.
We’ve transformed our work to be an active and relevant participant in regional policy-making. The Chamber has been a champion for local small businesses by advocating against harmful policies like a mandatory paid sick leave ordinance and municipal minimum wage.
We strengthened our mission to encourage enlightened economic development and cooperative regional planning to grow the economy. We supported the creation of a Regional Transit Authority to create a comprehensive, transportation system for the region. We supported the university, and the emerging research and biotechnology industries by fighting state legislation that would have restricted their work.
We also fought for equality, opposing initiatives like the state marriage constitutional amendment because it impacted our ability to attract the best and brightest minds.
Taking our proactive strategy a giant step further, the Chamber endorsed candidates for the first time in our organization’s history. In addition, the Chamber launched a conduit program to give members the opportunity to simultaneously demonstrate their support for both a political candidate of their choice and the chamber of commerce agenda.
The Chamber was also pivotal in the creation of several new initiatives focused on making Madison the destination to live and do business, including formation of the Small Business Advisory Council, Thrive, and MAGNET, an organization for young professionals.
We also improved our service offerings for members. We led the way in creating ChamberCARE, a health care offering through our partners at Group Health Cooperative, WPS Health and later Dean Health. We adapted our educational and networking programs with emerging technologies and chose timely topics to keep our members informed and help them ultimately prosper. We created Ask Sam, an innovative resource for all of your questions. And we continue to implement a new communications plan, focused on providing new ways to interact and promote our members.
While we reflect on these accomplishments, know that everyone at the chamber is committed to continuing to improve our services and offerings to ensure we are the strongest and most effective business organization in the region.
On behalf of the entire Chamber Board, our many volunteers and staff, thank you for your continued support. Enjoy the holiday season and let’s make 2012 our best year yet!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Alexander
President
Dear Chamber members,Today, I make the bittersweet announcement that 2012 will be my final year as president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and Thrive, the eight-county Madison Region economic development partnership. While I love what I’m doing, the timing makes sense for both organizations.
Looking out a year allows for a smooth transition. It also happens to be a pivotal moment in time for both organizations as we prepare to implement Advance Now, a roadmap to guide economic development priorities and investments in the Madison Region for the next five years.
Because the Chamber will be a strong partner in the implementation of this initiative, it seems now is the time to bring the GMCC and Thrive boards together, with additional respected voices from around the region, to revisit the mission and governance of both organizations. That discussion will take place on February 2 with the leadership search process beginning later that month based on the determined governance structures.
It’s very satisfying to know that we have great teams in place and that the organizations are well positioned for the future. While I plan to stay very engaged in a range of initiatives, overseeing this transition will be my most important work next year.
My decision to retire at the end of 2012 also provides the opportunity to reflect on the great accomplishments we’ve made together at the GMCC over the past several years.
We’ve transformed our work to be an active and relevant participant in regional policy-making. The Chamber has been a champion for local small businesses by advocating against harmful policies like a mandatory paid sick leave ordinance and municipal minimum wage.
We strengthened our mission to encourage enlightened economic development and cooperative regional planning to grow the economy. We supported the creation of a Regional Transit Authority to create a comprehensive, transportation system for the region. We supported the university, and the emerging research and biotechnology industries by fighting state legislation that would have restricted their work.
We also fought for equality, opposing initiatives like the state marriage constitutional amendment because it impacted our ability to attract the best and brightest minds.
Taking our proactive strategy a giant step further, the Chamber endorsed candidates for the first time in our organization’s history. In addition, the Chamber launched a conduit program to give members the opportunity to simultaneously demonstrate their support for both a political candidate of their choice and the chamber of commerce agenda.
The Chamber was also pivotal in the creation of several new initiatives focused on making Madison the destination to live and do business, including formation of the Small Business Advisory Council, Thrive, and MAGNET, an organization for young professionals.
We also improved our service offerings for members. We led the way in creating ChamberCARE, a health care offering through our partners at Group Health Cooperative, WPS Health and later Dean Health. We adapted our educational and networking programs with emerging technologies and chose timely topics to keep our members informed and help them ultimately prosper. We created Ask Sam, an innovative resource for all of your questions. And we continue to implement a new communications plan, focused on providing new ways to interact and promote our members.
While we reflect on these accomplishments, know that everyone at the chamber is committed to continuing to improve our services and offerings to ensure we are the strongest and most effective business organization in the region.
On behalf of the entire Chamber Board, our many volunteers and staff, thank you for your continued support. Enjoy the holiday season and let’s make 2012 our best year yet!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Alexander
President