By the time you read this, I will have returned to Sanford from spending a week at the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives National Conference. The theme of the conference was ELEVATE which in its simplest form is how do we raise up our Chamber to a higher level and how do we lift ourselves as Chamber Executives. I was surrounded by over one thousand Chamber Executives from around the nation that came together to continue building our toolkit because we all want to propel ourselves to a higher self to serve our communities in the best way. What an invigorating energy to be around!
As Chamber Executives we all know that we are always “running on all gas, no brakes” and like many of you know, that cannot be sustainable nor healthy. Therefore, to take time away from our everyday duties and come together to regroup brings us back to our communities recharged!
We know that one of the pillars of success is courageous leadership and to succeed as a Chamber Executive we need to invest in our education so this is what we do in the brief time we get to spend together once a year. We are intentional in the sessions we participate in and invest in the conversations that occur after that strengthen our bonds, create new mindsets, and generate innovative ideas. We learn to focus on our strengths and build out from there. The same approach we, at the Chamber, take when we focus on the success of our community: we focus on what makes us unique because that is what makes us wonderful!
The are pages of notes and endless thoughts that I bring back and am eager to share as I enter my second year at SAGA as your Chamber Director. I continue to enjoy every day with its challenges and triumphs, and I will continue to serve with passion as we continue to cultivate a sense of belonging in our community and with our members.
Susan Gomez
Chamber of Commerce Director