Chamber 2020

Much Ado About Healthcare

Most of my posts on the blog thus far have dealt with the future of our Chamber.  Last night I recieved what I thought was a very thoughtful message from Doug Whitley, the President & CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, and it made me think about starting a different channel of our discussion. 

I thought now would be as good a time as ever to bring up healthcare.   Any discussion of our future, as a Chamber, a community, a state or nation that avoids the issue of healthcare would be overly simplistic and shortsighted. 

I'd like to use Doug Whitley's piece as a starting point because I think he raises a number of good points.  Please read though his message and let me know your thoughts.  I'm going to try to make a stop in Springfield, so I wont' be back and able to post until the end of the week.

How'd we do?

I will be out of the office for the rest of the week without ability to post anything.  I'd like know to know what your thoughts are of the Chamber's 2020 workplan? 

Until next week...

Sharing The Vision

First I’d like to begin with a brief apology to all of you, I haven’t posted any thing on our blog for too long.  We’ve been busy working on the dirty details of the plan which I’m happy to share with you today. Click here to download our work plan.  

Why Should a CEO Step Aside?

This was taken from the Chamber's September Current

As you all know, I have made the decision to retire from the Chamber at the end of this year. A lot of people have asked me why I decided to do that since we have had some degree of success (thanks to all of you our Members) since I came here eleven years ago. A couple of life lessons came into play when I was thinking this whole thing through and I thought I might share them with you.

The Rubber Meets the Road

I’m happy to report that for the first time in 10 years the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce has a new strategic plan.  At the Chamber’s Board of Directors meeting on July 9, 2007 the Chamber 2020 strategic plan was adopted. When I began my Chamber career in 1996, the Chamber’s board had just undertaken a strategic review and now as my time in the Chamber world comes to a close (insert link to press release), it’s fitting that we have just undertaken the process again.

I’d like to take a moment and share with you part of a letter that our 2020 Chair Brad McGuire wrote to the Chamber’s Board yesterday: