President's Message
Einar K. Forsman
Members grow Chamber ranks
Total membership climbs to 1,638 thanks to their efforts in June
You may have heard the sounds of excitement coming from Midway Village Museum on June 3 and 4. On those two days, 108 of the Rockford Chamber's most enthusiastic volunteers joined together to seek out new members. During the process they learned more about the Rockford Chamber and the value that we, in partnership with our members, add to our regional community.
By the end of the second day, our enthusiastic group recruited 122 new members to be a part of the Chamber; adding to our ability to serve as the region's leading advocate for business growth. The Chamber now counts 1,638 local companies as members; the highest number since 2005. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to all of our new members!
The message our volunteers delivered to business acquaintances they contacted was simple: chambers of commerce coordinate and facilitate business growth in a community. Chambers do this by providing information and networking opportunities, advocating for business in the halls of government, advocating for pro-business and civic-purposed causes, encouraging citizens and business to "buy local" in order to keep money in our community, and more.
Thanks go out to many, but in particular to our five general managers who led the membership campaign teams: Mike Broski, Pam Maher, Romero Bennett, Mike Robinson and Brian Brown.
These fantastic leaders recruited "coaches" and "players" who in turn helped spread the word on the value the Rockford Chamber adds to our community, and the results we are able to deliver for members. Of course, many thanks to the 100-plus volunteers recruited by our general managers!
Jimmy Cusano, of Your Chamber Connection, served as emcee for the two days and helped raise the level of excitement to a frenzied pitch as we recruited new members. Thanks Jimmy! And, thanks to all of our sponsors for their generous support.
We could not have had such a successful membership event without your support.
Doing things together, especially in an organization such as the Chamber, is far easier than going-it-alone. Our volunteers proved this, and we thank them.
Einar K. Forsman is President & CEO of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at eforsman@rockfordchamber.com.
