Chambers of Commerce The heart of the business community STORY BY AMY PASSARETTI PHOTOS BY CARMEN RODGERS AND GABRIELLE JENSEN
MILLBROOK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Brenda Robertston Dennis has been on the job as executive director a little over a year now and has made some big changes in the Millbrook Chamber of Commerce operations. She spent the year rebranding, featured a new logo and launched a more interactive, user-friendly website. She even sends out a weekly in-depth newsletter to subscribers detailing the happenings around the region. Increasing networking events for members is another key point to her strategy. “We’re trying to up our game on providing resources for our members,” Dennis said. To gather the intel, she spent her first three months meeting with members and learning about their individual needs; then, she began to craft a plan forward. “We’ve spent the year trying to fix what wasn’t there, and now, we’re at this place where we can dare to dream,” Dennis said. One way of doing that would be launching a strategic plan. Dennis said there are so many more layers to dig into for the chamber to be at its peak success. A strategic plan would allow stakeholders to come together and decide as a unit the best way to tackle future goals. The chamber offers ambassador positions for community members looking to get involved and volunteer their time, and this fall, Dennis plans to launch a junior ambassador program. “Our role will be to help interested and qualified students understand the relationship of commerce, between business and government, and how they work together,” she said. Open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the 12
chamber is located at 3390 Main St. Learn more at millbrookchamber.org or by calling 334-285-0085. TALLASSEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The Greater Tallassee Area Chamber of Commerce is a group of businesses and individuals working together toward a stronger local economy. Working toward commons goals, the chamber wears many hats, including economic developer, tourist information center, business spokesperson, business training center and government and public relations specialist. The chamber, headed up by executive director Jerry Cunningham, hosts chamber chats Millbrook Chamber of Commerce for networking is under new leadership, opportunities; with Brenda Robertson Dennis celebrates ribbon on the job a little over a year cuttings for grand openings; hosts an annual banquet; and works alongside the city, schools and other organizations to create a cohesive community. Recently, the chamber started hossting four vendors markets per yea, drawing more traffic to downtown businesses. Seven new business opened up in the past year. The city is also working on a streetscape and infrastructure update to enhance the business community and create a greater draw for visitors. For high school students looking to get involved, the Tallassee chamber welcomes student ambassadors each year to act as volunteers, learn the inner workings of commerce and receive educational scholarships. “A lot of us are trying to be creative and find thigns that work,” Cunningham said. “I'm just glad to be a part of it.” The chamber is located at 303 Barnett Blvd. Visit tallasseechamber.com or call 334-283-5151 for more information. 2022-23 FYI
