December Update From The Chairman Of The Board

It has certainly been an eventful year, nothing like what any of us had imagined the year would look like when the calendar rolled over to 2020! At the Chamber we, like many of you, have had to make difficult decisions and continue to operate and reinvent in the uncertainty of a pandemic. While many thought our mission was to provide networking connections to the business community, we understood our mission as providing the resources the business community needs to survive and thrive. In that spirit, as business quickly became increasingly difficult to conduct in the face of shutdowns, we assessed the needs of our members and others in the business community and acted.
 
As Chair, I am proud of the way management and staff have pivoted with limited resources to continue to provide benefits crucial to our membership and the business community as a whole. We quickly created and maintained a business web portal and notification system designed to provide up-to-date, relevant and accurate information to the business community (dutchessBNN.com). We have done numerous webinars, providing timely access to professionals and federal, state and local representatives, both to provide information on the topics critical to your business and a place for you to ask the questions relevant and unique to your business. We have helped secure and distribute PPE in times of limited availability, as well as connected members who could provide those items with members in need. We have researched and provided answers to thousands of questions, unique to individual businesses that have poured in from all parts of the business community.
 
Through it all, we continue to reimagine ways to connect members through networking and provide opportunities to get and keep your businesses top of mind. I would be remiss if I did not note the role of our members and sponsors, they are the engine that drives us and we could not provide what we do without them. Through 2020 we provided numerous benefits to members and non-members alike, it was just the right thing to do. To those who are members, thank you for helping us provide the resources businesses need. To those that are not or have had to put membership on hold, reach out to us and I promise you we will find a way for you to continue to benefit from all the Chamber has to offer.
 
As time marches on and the calendar rolls over again.... here’s to a better 2021!