A Message From The President & CEO C.A.R.E.S FOR BUSINESS By Trish Christensen
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am often asked what the most significant focus is for our Chamber to best support business and our local economy. I always find this question interesting. I see the work and role of a chamber from a very broad perspective. I feel our vision platform sums this up perfectly. The Modesto Chamber of Commerce C.A.R.E.S. (Community - Advocacy – Relationship – Education – Service). Our focus on Community comes to us quite simply. We are citizens of our community, so we are naturally compelled to be good stewards. We regularly partner and collaborate with other community-based organizations (CBO’s) to help the greater Modesto area be a vibrant place to live, work, and play. We maintain programs such as our Women in Business Network, Rising Professionals Network, and Tech Connect sessions. These provide opportunities for individuals in a wide array of business and industry to learn, grow, find resources, mentor, and be mentored.
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Our Advocacy efforts continue through our longstanding Economic Development Committee, Government Relations Council, and Stanislaus Green team. Each of these offering incredible opportunities to hear from professionals in each of these focus areas. Our committees are in place to give individuals an opportunity to be engaged and proactively working to support business, industry, agriculture, and sustainability.
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At our core we are a Relationships based organization. We focus our energy on our new and existing members. Our Ambassador Team volunteers enjoy the outreach they make with members. Our Welcome Team volunteers enjoy meeting and greeting members and attendees at events, ribbon cuttings, and Mix & Mingles. We enjoy being a nexus for businesses, non-profits, governmental agencies, and creating a space for positive networking to exist.
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We serve Education in various ways through a wide network of collaborative partners. Our Business and Education committee’s focus is on building bridges between business, education, and educators. We know that by supporting the needs of education from preschool and elementary through trade and tech institutes, junior or community colleges, and university levels we are supporting our future workforce. We also know that if educators understand our business and industry needs, they can better prepare our future workforce. The Chamber believes in providing Service to our members, our community, and our businesses. Our board members, our volunteers, and our staff make up a very active group. Many of us gives time and talent to multiple organizations. We also provide service to support our member and business community. One example is our opportunity to green certify a business through the California Green Business Network – Stanislaus (CAGBN-Stan) platform. This is free to a business or industry of any size, member or not. By going through the process, we can help you reduce the cost of doing business through sustainability. By doing so we are also improving the quality of life and saving the natural resources of Stanislaus County. As we head into the holidays, and begin to look forward to a new year, I hope we can reflect on the good that has transpired this past year, despite the challenges. We anticipate many great things for 2022. I wish you many moments to be surrounded by the warmth and joy of family and those that matter most to you. From the Modesto Chamber of Commerce Team - Happy Holidays to all~ With warm regards, Trish
