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:
“Congratulations on taking the first steps toward building the Chamber of the future. The plan you have approved today is a living document that will continue to evolve over the next 10 years as it is distilled into working plans and annual budgets.
I am proud to be associated with a Board of Directors that recognizes that preparing for 2020 means acting now. The hardest parts will be putting in place the people at both the Board and Management level to act upon the recommendations and finding ways to fund the step changes we are calling for.”
Brad’s absolutely correct; the future of your Chamber will greatly depend on the leadership provided by you, our Members, through your engagement on the Board and in stepping up to leadership roles within our committees, alliances and partners.
My last major responsibility to you, our Members, during my remaining 170 days as your President & CEO, is to engage the Chamber’s staff in the first six months of the “strategic implementation” of the Chamber 2020 plan. We'll will be focused on transitioning the Chamber of today into the Chamber of 2020.
My leaving the organization is timed to give the organization an opportunity for a new leader to take the reigns at a perfect time. Our Chamber is entering a new phase and needs an executive to lead the charge to 2020.
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