PRESIDENT'S LETTER

To Our Members:

Happy Holidays and best wishes for a great New Year! Where has 2011 gone? As my two-year term as North Coast Chamber President expires, I reflect on my time at the helm and review our accomplishments as a board. Even though the last two years have been extremely challenging for many business owners, we have many accomplishments that we need to recognize.

During the last two years, the Chamber Board has done a lot for our members and the communities that we represent. Some of the items that we have completed are: updating the Chamber logo, creating a long range strategic plan for the next several years, accepting credit cards for payment of dues and luncheons, and continuing to help promote the "Power of More" program.

Since 2009, the Chamber Golf Outing participation has increased by over 75%:

• 2009 = 88 Golfers
• 2010 = 104 Golfers
• 2011 = 152 Golfers

The Chamber Golf Outing has been extremely successful due to the hard work of Ray Frank and his dedicated Golf Committee. As we move into 2012, we want to keep the momentum going so we can maintain this great event for many years to come.

One of the top goals for the chamber is obtaining new members and maintaining current members. Since 2009, we have not only increased the total number of returning members but also have increased the total number of new members:

• 2009 Total Members = 169; 30 New Members
• 2010 Total Members = 175; 39 New Members
• 2011 Total Members = 185; 48 New Members

This success has been lead by Carrie Hartman, Todd Wearsch and the Chamber Membership Committee. Special thanks to Carrie and Todd for their hard work and commitment in growing the awareness of the Chamber to our communities through new member plaque delivery and multiple successful "membership blitzes".

I would also like to recognize 3 board members whose terms have ended and will be stepping down to achieve a new challenge; Rob Capretto, Carol Murphy and Charlotte Picha. Rob, Carol and Charlotte have all spent many years on the board in various leadership positions. Thank you for your time and talent--we will miss all of you! Please help me recognize each of them during our Annual Membership Dinner on Wednesday, January 25th.

Last, but not least I want to thank the North Coast Chamber Board for meeting and exceeding the goals outlined by the strategic plan. We could not have been as successful without our other leaders, Sharon Mathews and John Sobolewski. We are fortunate to have both Sharon and John and I have greatly enjoyed working with both of them.

During my Presidential term, I have grown in many ways, mostly my waist line by all the cocktails and meatballs consumed during the many after hour’s events. In all seriousness, I have enjoyed being your President and look forward to keeping the momentum going into 2012 as I will remain on the Board as Past-President.

Remember to visit our website so you can update your calendar and join us for upcoming events. I look forward in seeing you at the next Chamber event.