Letter From the Chair
of the Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce

With the reality of a tough business climate, and an eye to the future, the Board of Directors of the Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce has re-dedicated itself to achieving its mission — To promote business and enhance the economic and cultural well being of the people in Fresno County.

Political advocacy, pro-active leadership, and listening to and working with our members, politicians and other community leaders are key ways we will accomplish our mission. At our mid-year meeting in 2004, we began a strategic planning process that we completed at our Annual Planning Conference in November. We discussed critical issues facing our region and the State, and reviewed feedback from community leaders, the media and our members. We revamped our committee structure to meet specific goals and the program of work for 2005 and beyond, directly related to achieving our mission.

The Chamber is a business — working for business members and working to build a
better community. We will increase our effort to provide resources, products and services that meet the needs of our members. We will continue to collaborate with partners and build effective relationships with city and county officials, state and federal representatives and work in conjunction with the State Chamber to ensure the ability to influence critical legislation impacting the economic viability of our state.

A positive attitude, passion for what chambers of commerce represent, courage, willingness to put in time/effort/financial resources and ethical leadership are important attributes of each member of our Board of Directors. Attitude and passion create the energy necessary to lead and to make the right decisions to promote the economic vitality of our region and a climate where business can succeed. Courage is necessary to “step out front” to promote what may be unpopular positions and make difficult decisions. And, ethics guide the decision-making process.

We invite you to join us — share issues, ideas and recommendations with the Chamber staff and Board as our program of work continues to evolve; volunteer your time and talent; and contribute to our financial strength through your membership contributions, event sponsorships, and contributions to special programs. We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Ruth Evans, Chair