I wanted to take a moment to share with you our major accomplishments over the past year. Our Chamber had a very productive year supporting the business community through a variety of important initiatives. We strived to make a difference in our community through projects with business and governmental leaders, educational workshops, networking events, non-profit outreach and our number one focus, servicing our members.
Rewarding accomplishments include:
Active participant in the effort to secure $1.3 million in federal funding to support the proposed Troy/Birmingham Transit Center. Visit www.15MileTransit.org for more information.
Expanded our reach from five communities to six, now covering Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township AND Franklin.
Hosted a Community and Economic Development Day that provided an opportunity for our communities to come together to gain a regional perspective on timely issues.
Hosted our 6th Annual Vine & Dine event to benefit Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan. Purchased 18,000 meals for our communities.
Donated more than $19,000 to 23 different area nonprofits through the concession booths at the 46th Annual Village Fair in downtown Birmingham.
Provided our Members with professional development and goal setting strategies through our Professional Edge workshops and SCORE counseling.
Small Business Conference provided attendees with valuable information on current topics including: marketing, financing, networking and social media.
Provided business support including professional development, networking events and business referrals to more than 650 local businesses.
All of these accomplishments could not be achieved without our very dedicated group of committee members, ambassadors, sponsors and Board of Directors. We are grateful for their dedication and efforts.
We are also thankful for the leadership provided by our 2009 Board Chair, John Roberts and look forward to our incoming Chair, Joe Bauman, providing guidance in 2010. The entire Board of Directors has been tremendously helpful in providing support over the course of the year and we would like to thank our outgoing Board Member, Ruth Clevers, for the service she’s provided since 2002. The countless contributions of all of these individuals have and will continue to play a major role in our success and for that we are very appreciative.
We are also pleased to welcome our incoming Board Members: Linda Hatfield of Birmingham Bloomfield Credit Union; Bob Kupfer of Tiffany Florist and Michelle Saroki of Victor Saroki & Associates Architects. With their support, we will work to provide our Members with the opportunities, resources, and connections they need to be prosperous in 2010 and beyond.
Happy New Year!
The Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber, a membership organization dedicated to promoting the economic development, strengthening the business climate and improving the quality of life in Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township and Franklin, Mich. For more information on the Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber and membership call (248) 644-1700 or www.bbcc.com