Kalamazoo Regional Chamber works with members so it can work for members

Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce members recently got  a chance to clarify what they want the Chamber to be doing on their behalf.

Earlier members were asked to determine the Business and Quality of life Agenda, but in a number of areas the guidance to the Chamber was not clear. At its quarterly meeting, members were asked to provide further direction by voting with wireless real-time remote device to make selection at their tables at the event.

When surveyed, members originally were nearly evenly split when asked if the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce should be taking the lead addressing education in the community. When asked for further guidance, members told the Chamber to take the lead in the community fostering more engagement between business and education with a goal of creating and retaining a highly skilled work force.

Members felt that the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce should allocate one-third of its resources to advocacy, one-third of its resources to connections, and one-third of the remaining resources to talent. When one of these should be the first priority, the members decided advocacy would be most important, with networking coming in second.

The Chamber’s Business and Quality of life Agenda is in its final stages of development. The Policy Committee came up with a list of the top 10 priorities. Members said work to keep health care affordable was their top priority.

At the meeting, the group also heard from Peter Hoekstra, who is running for U.S. Senate against incumbent Democrat Debbie Stabenow. Hoekstra told the assembled business leaders if elected he would work to reduce the uncertainty caused by current policies that he says are holding back the economy.  

Writer: Kathy Jennings, Second Wave
Source: Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce Quarterly meeting