Last week was a great week at the Chamber. Heck – every week is a great week at the Chamber when you’re lucky to live in Abilene!
The highlight was the opportunity to share with our member-elected Board of Directors all that your team of professionals have been doing since they last met.
Working for the Chamber is unique. No two days are the same, but each day our team, under the strategy set by the board, comes to work determined to help businesses drive our regional economy through advocacy, talent development, connections and education.
As I sat down to reflect on all that we have on the horizon, I reviewed last week’s Business Brief. If you’re not signed up to receive the newsletter, I encourage you to do so here. It’s jam packed with a review of how the Chamber has worked to deliver community and economic progress, workforce, advocacy, and information at every level.
And as I reviewed the Business Brief, I thought back to what gets our folks up every day and what we have on the horizon starting with the core of our organization – Advocacy.
While you might join our association of businesses for the networking opportunities, at our core we’re the region’s chief business advocacy organization. The leadership and volunteers of this organization are constantly working to build relationships, develop solutions, provide perspective and drive results on behalf of our membership.
Business advocacy is paramount to an economically vibrant city. And that effort is privately funded by our growing membership. We’re present in local government, in Austin, in Washington and elsewhere to influence policy and to ensure that the stage is set and maintained for business success right here at home.
Having a positive, productive relationship with government at all levels matters – and we’re often able to resolve challenges for our members through those relationships.
And ensuring you’re armed with as much information as possible on the candidates or issues that will impact our city is something we always aim to do. That’s why we invite you to join us at our upcoming Mayoral Candidate Forum on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, from 8:00 – 9:00 am at the Abilene Woman’s Club.
This member event will take place during our regularly scheduled Morning Edge and will be moderated by the Chamber’s Director of Government Affairs, Doug Williamson. Questions will be prepared in advance, and candidates will not have the opportunity to view the questions prior to the event. Attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with the candidates prior to the presentation.
Then, on Tuesday, April 18, we’ll hear from City Council candidates live through our partnership with KTAB/KRBC/Telemundo.
The forum is not open to the public, but will be broadcast live from their stations, website, and social media feeds.
We want to have your input in determining the questions you want to hear addressed by our Council hopefuls. Click here to fill out a short one-minute survey.
One of the inherent benefits of living in Abilene, Texas is that we often know those who run for elected office. But knowing what they stand for is critical. Let’s make certain we’re informed before hitting the polls this election session.
Onward!