As I conclude my year as Chairman of the River Region Chamber of Commerce, I would be remiss if I did not recognize the support provided. The Chamber staff, Stacey and Rebecca ensure the day to day operations happen. And the Chamber is so lucky to have Chassity as our Executive Director. I happen to think she is the best in the state. Also, there have been the thousands of man-hours accomplished by the Board members and the people who have put in voluntary time working on committees and events. The Chamber and I are both in their debts.

The Chamber has grown by 74 new members since the beginning of 2019. We look forward to adding many more as we approach the new year. I encourage any business that’s not yet a member, stop by the Chamber office or visit us online at www.riverregionchamber.org . Your investment is pro-rated at the time you join. Don’t miss out on the many networking opportunities and business training opportunities that are upcoming!

The Board will end the year with its annual retreat to be held this week. The 2020 program of work will be mapped out for the year. Stay tuned for more details forthcoming post retreat.

The 2020 Annual Banquet will take place January 17, 2020, 11:30 a.m. at San Francisco in Garyville. We will go through the swearing in of new board of directors, as well as new officers. We will welcome our 2020 Chairman, Aspen Murphy of Marathon Petroleum. Lunch will be served. Member cost is $40/pp and future member cost is $60/pp. Sponsorship opportunities are available. You can visit the Events calendar on the website.

We are most grateful to the business community for their trust and support of their local Chamber. While the parameters of the Chamber’s work may change from year to year, one thing always holds steadfast, and that’s our mission to “Grow, Strengthen and Unify business in the region by serving as the voice of business for all businesses!”

Please feel free to contact us with questions or suggestions. We look forward to seeing you soon and invite you to take part in your helping grow your local Chamber of Commerce!

John Little is the 2019 Chairman of the Board for the River Region Chamber of Commerce. Visit onto riverregionchamber.org for more information.