Join Together - Lancaster Chamber of Commerce & Industry - (Page 4) ANNUAL REPORT: REFLECTING ON OUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2007 The past year was a truly exceptional one for The Lancaster Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The organization continued to set high standards for serving Lancaster County’s diverse business community and met them time and again, while our Board and executive leadership drafted a groundbreaking strategic direction for our future. Themed “The Year of Engagement,” 2007 delivered on its expectations—engaging our members, the community and local, state and national leaders throughout the year. The Chamber hosted top leaders, including Senator Specter, Congressman Pitts and Governor Rendell, for open dialogue on a host of pressing issues—from health care insurance reform to national issues. At the local level, we hosted the entire state delegation, the County Commissioner candidates and Mayor Gray at forums throughout the year, providing members insight into local public policy. We partnered with state organizations including the Department of Community and Economic Development and the Department of Environmental Protection to increase awareness of issues including exporting and energy. In October, we welcomed our most prominent guest, George W. Bush, president of the United States, for an open “town hall” style meeting that provided members direct access to the executive-in-chief. President Bush fielded challenging questions candidly, winning national press coverage of the event. In 2007, The Chamber also leveraged the collective strength of our membership to influence public policy. The Chamber was a strong business advocate in a number of ways—from helping to ensure continued funding for the Red Rose Transit Authority to working to restore $32 million in workforce training program funding. When state legislators proposed to fund property tax reform with an increased sales tax, we voiced our opposition stemming from its negative impact on businesses, the workforce and working families. The Chamber joined several area stakeholders in evaluating transportation needs in the growing Harrisburg Pike Corridor. In continuing to advocate for a solution for Route 23, The Chamber led productive dialogue with concerned businesses, elected officials and community leaders. To help ensure a quality workforce for our future, The Chamber joined with the Workforce Investment Board to present “Pathways to Gold Collar Careers” events at three area high schools, providing students the opportunity to explore in-demand jobs of the future. We continued strong outreach to the minority business community to better ensure that our membership is representative of the community we serve, resulting in 24 more minority-owned business members joining the collective voice of The Chamber in 2007. The Chamber continued to set the bar high in delivering high quality, high impact programs and events The Chamber continued to set the bar high in delivering high quality, high impact programs and events, including our Annual Dinner with The Pursuit of Happyness author Christopher Gardner; our fun and casual Membership Picnic, which attracted a record-setting 800 attendees; and our Agriculture Industry Banquet which also attracted a record-setting 800 attendees, just to name a few. Local business professionals increased their knowledge in a variety of areas, including employee wellness at our inaugural Spring into Wellness event, presented in partnership with the Lancaster County Business Group on Health; Afterburner team-building training; sales training academy presented by Laura Schanz Consulting Associates; organizational excellence at the Excellence Exchange; and dozens of regularly scheduled niche groups and programs.
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