Over the past seven years, I have had the privilege of serving on the Chamber Board of Directors. It all started as an appointed seat as the representative of the Charlotte County Young Professionals, and I quickly became invested within the chamber and the value it brought to my professional and personal life.

Throughout my time on the board, I have been able to serve as the vice president of membership services, vice president of Leadership Charlotte, president elect and president.

In each role, I was able to learn more and more about the internal workings of a successful chamber and learn from the many board presidents who came before me. I remember sitting in the countless board meetings and being amazed at the talent of the professional leaders who gave much of their time and energy volunteering to lead 20 other individuals to help better our chamber and strengthen our community.

Having those influences before me was truly a blessing.

As the time approached when I would take the helm to lead the chamber, I felt anxious, but at the same time I felt prepared for the role of president because I knew that I had great fellow board members I can lean on for help, a group of past presidents that I can call when inspiration is needed and great chamber members who would always be my motivation.

“Businesses Building a Stronger Community” has been my initiative for this last year. During this time, I have had many conversations with businesses and community members who have experienced many challenges, but through it all, many of these businesses have helped each other out in numerous ways. First hand, I have seen businesses coming together to network and share ideas, bring value to their fellow members and business community as well as volunteer for the betterment of the chamber.

Serving the business community as president this past year has come with many triumphs; however, there has been some small hurdles along the way. At every intersection it has been my priority to make decisions that will best serve and enhance the quality of the chamber.

This, however, could not have been done alone. The engagement and dedication of the entire board of directors has been amazing and truly one of the greatest pleasures to serve alongside each and every one of them.

Moving forward, I see the Charlotte County Chamber remaining the beacon for the local businesses as well as continually providing the exceptional service and benefits that our members expect.

I also see the chamber moving forward in new directions, breathing new life into the Chamber of Commerce. The entire board has been working behind the scenes to update policies, procedures, and researching new and innovative ways that we can best serve our local community.

This remains to be exciting times for the chamber and as I close out my final few months as president, I hope to share some of these changes and breathing new and engaging energy into the chamber.

  • By JUSTIN BRAND Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce