President’s Report – August 2018
And then there’s August, my friends… the Sunday of Summer. The children are sun-kissed and ready for the first days of School and parents everywhere sigh in unison. How did we blink and most of 2018 is gone? I’m not sure that I’m ready to be scouting for a new planner for 2019 just yet… but here we are, ready or not! So far, it’s been tremendous! We’ve had a 92% retention rate in membership and a 10% increase in membership. There’s over 200 networking opportunities that the Chamber provides for its members and only 5 of those are fundraisers, the rest is to help build, connect and grow your business!
We want to remember former Mayor Bob Lowery of the City of Florissant. Mayor Lowery touched the lives of countless people in and out of Florissant both as Police Chief and as Mayor. Please keep the Lowery family in your thoughts and prayers.
Thank you to all those that sponsored, participated, and volunteered in our 2018 Scholarship Bowl! We cannot do it without your support! Thanks to Crest Bowl for always doing a great job in making sure everyone’s having a great time! Funds raised go towards our 2019 Scholarships and since it’s inception, the Chamber has granted over $80K in scholarships to our North County graduating seniors. Please stop by the Chamber office and donate some Back To School items. We want to make sure our kids have everything they need for a bright new school year.
Ladies! Reserve your calendar for September 21st for the Chamber’s Annual Women’s Empowerment Seminar: Being Your Own Boss! Presented by The City of Ferguson and sponsored by The Bridge at Florissant and Life Care Center of Florissant. We have lined up phenomenal speakers for the day with Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, CEO of Lambert St. Louis International Airport; Cillah Hall, Founder/Publisher for Gazelle Magazine; and Dr. Robyn Lawrence, Owner of Get Well Family Chiropractic. Early bird pricing is $30! Call the chamber office today! Sponsorships are available.
We are looking for committee members for our Run, Kick, & Play Fall event! We have partnered with the Race to the Shrine for a wonderful fun-filled day! Please help us make the event a great success! Homerun sponsors for this event are North County Inc. and Safe Harbor Finance & Insurance. Thanks to the City of Florissant for sponsoring the evening concert that will wrap up the day!
Sign up now for our Membership Breakfast on August 15th at the Atrium at Christian Hospital! It’s a speed networking event, so bring lots of business cards! We will see you at 7:30 a.m.!
Please join us for August’s Business After Hours on Thursday, August 16th at the Twillman House in Spanish Lake from 5-7 p.m. Bring a friend, a spouse or a colleague! The more the merrier!
Many congratulations to mention as Cardinal Glennon had their groundbreaking ceremony for their new Pediatric Care location in Ferguson! Also, Siteman Cancer Center had their groundbreaking ceremony on the campus of Northwest HealthCare in Florissant! We’ve also had some ribbon cuttings! Congrats to Amore Pizza on their expansion! Also, congrats to Nettie Kelley on their fabulous ribbon cutting! Also a big congratulations to the City of Florissant on the new Court Building!
It is our job as your Chamber to keep you updated on what’s happening in our region. The Governmental Affairs Committee agreed to send correspondence to East-West Gateway expressing our support for the prioritization and funding of the Missouri Department of Transportation’s improvements on I-270 in North County. Much of I-270 North has reached the point where significant rehabilitation or reconstruction is mandatory. Originally built in the early 1960s, the 50+ year old interstate shows signs of deterioration due to its age and heavy freight traffic. If you have any questions regarding our support of this project, please contact me, I have a plethora of information.
I leave you with this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, “All of life is a constant education.” Good luck to all of our students, parents, school districts and private schools! I hope you have a very inspiring and successful new school year.
Venus Martz
Chamber President
