The TriCounty Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and staff recently adopted three core values that we are using to define our organization, how we interact with our Members, and in designing the programs and services we have for our Members.
The 3 values are actually the same as the 3 words listed on an old membership plate from the former Pottstown Chamber of Commerce.
The first value is Integrity. According to www.dictionary.com the word is defined as “adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.” The Chamber wants to represent this value in providing good fiscal stewardship of our organization, ethical decision-making, transparency in all matters, sustained professional development for staff and skills development and programs for small business.
We are a Membership based organization and we repeatedly explain to our Members that this is not my Chamber, or our staff’s Chamber – this is your Chamber as a Member of the organization. As a result of this being your (our Members) Chamber we know you would want us to perform to the highest standards of the items mentioned above. The organization has suffered through tough times, similar to our Members, during the 2008 recession as well as through this most recent bump in the road – COVID 19. The Board of Directors has kept a close watch on the financial condition of the organization, and we have made tough decisions but the appropriate decisions for the financial success of your TriCounty Chamber and your investment in this organization.
Integrity shown by our Members has been motivating and inspirational. We are grateful for every dollar of membership dues that we receive, and we cannot thank those 400+ Members enough that have made the choice to continue to support the TriCounty Chamber and have maintained their Membership. Financial decisions and commitments have been difficult for many businesses over the last year and it is appreciated to have businesses in our region understand the value of being a Member of a business advocacy organization creating a ripple effect as their membership enables your Chamber to help other businesses. We have been humbled by the support as we work every day to do our jobs that we are passionate about and make a difference for our Members – your success is our success!
The pandemic has also caused a major shift in many industries’ business models and the Chamber made some major shifts as well. Your Chamber has worked very hard to be fair and transparent as we have adopted a new business plan, a temporary plan, but necessary due to the circumstances. Members have been surveyed and have been honest and transparent with their needs and the areas of focus that they would like to see their Chamber pursue. Explanations have been provided by the staff regarding the need for virtual events and acting in the best interest of the safety of our staff and Members. So, we are excited to announce, and we look forward to “progress”, (our 2nd core value, that I will talk about next month) as we return to in-person events with a special luncheon for Members on June 16!
We are excited for the opportunities to demonstrate our integrity and showcase the integrity of our Members in our TriCounty Chamber community. “Be the Bridge – problems become opportunities when the right people join together”!