I think we can all agree the COVID pandemic changed businesses in many ways. And like I’m sure you did with your business, The Chamber needed to assess where we were as an organization, where we wanted to go and the best path forward.
We knew going through COVID, our primary driver was to provide information and resources to keep businesses open and employees safe. We worked closely with our great partners at Cabarrus Health Alliance and Atrium Health to make sure you knew what was happening and where to get what you needed.
We worked with our local, state and federal elected officials to make sure they knew what you needed and to get access to the tools you needed to be productive. During this time, we also made sure we helped any who needed it – regardless of chamber membership. We are proud of the work so many of you did to rise above the challenges and come out maybe a bit battered, but maybe also a bit stronger.
So where is the business community in Cabarrus County and how can The Chamber help our members and community grow and thrive? We have so much to be thankful for. Fantastic school systems and postsecondary education partners, a safe and secure community led by outstanding first responders, incredible hospitality venues and activities, dedicated municipal and county staffs and business-friendly elected officials. We want to thank our CVB partners who have brought back Cabarrus County tourism to pre-COVID levels. We want to thank our EDC partners for the amazing work they did to secure over $2.5B in investment and over 1500 jobs that will be coming in advanced manufacturing, biotech, life sciences and so many more!
So, in June of 2021, we asked some of our board members to serve on a Strategic Planning Committee, understanding that it was a very significant ask of their time and input during a very busy time, and we are grateful for those who served in this important way: Marjorie Brown, Jim Craddock, Ward Childress, Stacey Griffin, Natasha Lipscomb, Owen Parker, Dana Ritchie, Chad Tarlton and Randy Welch.
We contracted with Andi Stevenson of Stevenson Wallace to lead us through the process, and we began with stakeholder research. Thank you to those of you who completed those important surveys that informed our work. From what you told us, we put together new mission and vision statements and four goal pillars.
A mission statement is what we do, and here’s our new one:
Why these three words?
CONNECT: connections build relationships, and relationships build business. You want to do business with people you know, and The Chamber is all about connecting our members! We connect you to resources, education, advocacy and other relationships to build your businesses.
CONVENE: this is bringing people together. Sometimes it’s to inform; sometimes it’s to solve problems. The Chamber convenes groups to work on workforce development, education and advocacy. And we need your voice at the table to help us move the needle in all these areas.
CHAMPION: a champion is a cheerleader, a trusted advocate, a protector, a friend. A champion is not only in your corner, but they’ll go to the mat for you. Your Chamber is Cabarrus County’s business community’s champion.
>> View our Strategic Plan for 2022-2024
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