The members and staff of the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce are always busy finding ways to add value to our community, and 2006 was no exception. Within our key focus areas of membership services, organizational excellence and community & economic development, we made several significant strides. Here are some of the top highlights for the past year.
Membership Services
- Helped to create a community-wide vision by bringing Vision 20/20 to life. The Chamber facilitated the work of 11 committees to create and deliver a complete set of recommendations, and took the lead in coordinating four “think tanks” to evaluate and implement Vision 20/20 recommendations.
- Improved Networking Opportunities, including re-tooling the Early Bird Forums and creating a noontime networking event that launched in January 2007.
- Kept Members In The Know through Early Bird Forums, the quarterly Connect newsletter, the monthly Quick Connect newsletter (which debuted in November 2006), special direct mail campaigns and weekly emails.
Organizational Excellence
- Increased Enhanced Investment in the Chamber by 325%. The belief in and commitment of these investors in the Chamber allows us to explore more innovative programs and services for members and strengthen our effectiveness.
- Created New Revenue Streams by implementing a new dues structure, revising the Enhanced Investor program, planning a new raffle program for 2007, and adding sponsorship opportunities to the Early Bird Forums.
- Improved Technology by beginning the process of creating a new and improved website and committing time and resources to capturing more accurate, timely member information.
Community & Economic Development
- Engaged Decision Makers, through the new local Intergovernmental Committee and by initiating regional conversations about our county’s desired relationship with the rest of the Atlanta region the Atlanta Regional Commission.
- Created Stronger Leaders by redesigning the Leadership Coweta program to align more closely with the goals of Vision 20/20.
- Strengthened Community Development by creating the “Entrepreneurs Thrive in Coweta” program to provide greater support and resources to new businesses.
- Created more opportunity for advocacy by developing a process to bring business-sensitive issues to the forefront for close examination, such as the need for a new hospital and the best solution for improving hospital care in our community.
