It is an honor and an opportunity to represent you, our nearly 800 members, in my role as Chairman of The Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce. Despite the economic challenges of the last few years, our chamber members and staff have worked together to maintain the economic vitality of our region and advocate for the needs of area businesses.

Here are some commitments I believe are important to our collective future, and how you can help us fulfill them:

Broad-based Engagement: Our Chamber must support a wide range of industries to ensure a balanced local economy. Our entrepreneurs, manufacturers, farmers, educators, health care institutions, services firms and all other businesses require our support and advocacy. We will be completing a strategic planning process this year, and my hope is that every area business will use this opportunity to influence the future direction of the chamber.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

Education and Innovation: We are striving to help our members stay current with trends and technology. Through our meeting agendas and training classes we want to ensure our members have access to tools that will help them grow. We will continue to work closely with our educators to improve the training of our future work force.

TELL US WHAT YOU NEED!

Connecting Business and Community: Only by working together with local governments, economic development entities, and other chambers will we succeed in efforts to create the infrastructure needed for the future success of our community. You can count on our chamber to facilitate positive working relationships in times of crisis, as we had last year with floods, and in long term advocacy efforts, as we persist in pursuing the GSV Thruway.

HELP US CONNECT!

I will close by saying a big THANK YOU to our 80+ volunteers, board members and staff members whose work and dedication keep our chamber going. There are many opportunities to become involved, so I invite you to join us in our effort to keep our valley growing and prosperous.

Sincerely,

Denise B. Prince, Chairman
Geisinger Health System

The Susquehanna River Valley stands, as many communities do, at the crossroads of opportunity and risk. Economists tell us the nation’s economy could take a second dip into recession. As the nation’s economy seems to vacillate, unsure of the necessary direction to take, the businesses and non-profit organizations of the Valley look ahead with a firm resolve.

Our region’s diversified employment sectors and the work ethic of its people helped insulate us in the past, but small businesses in particular have felt the burden of a stalled economy, tight budgets and competition from online and large-scale businesses.

Every day the Chamber works to help create and improve conditions that will attract companies with good jobs, and with skilled jobs and commensurate wages and benefits, which will help turn the real estate and housing markets around.

Regardless of the near-term economic future, the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce is committed to supporting all of the businesses that serve as the backbone of the region’s economy. We are just as proud and supportive of our non-profit organizations and philanthropic zeal that reflect our four counties’ strong commitment to home, community and people.

Together, the 800 organizations that make up the Chamber’s membership and our growth over the past year demonstrate that local and regional businesses believe in the Chamber’s efforts, and in the power of working together in the interest of a vibrant, job-building economy, to produce quality of place and quality of life.

The Chamber is here for businesses no matter their size. Every month the chamber offers a number of small business development programs focusing on different skills for success, from managing technology to running proactive marketing strategies. We stay in touch with local, state and federal elected officials, acting as your researcher, organizer, advocate and cheerleader. We encourage all our members to choose a committee of interest to them and join in the discussions.

The Chamber is finishing up a strategic plan made up of over 40 subgroups, all helping chart our course for the next three to five years. Your success is our goal as we take into account the strengths, weaknesses opportunities and threats to the Valley.

Your Chamber realizes the importance of its mission to preserve and strengthen the Valley’s business environment and quality of life. It is our privilege and honor to serve the people of the Valley as we look to take advantage of opportunities as they arise, weighing the risks and the rewards those opportunities present.

We thank you for your support, encourage you to contact the Chamber frequently and let us work together as we move forward.

Sincerely,

Charlie Ross

Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce