West Chester-Liberty Chamber Alliance is a source of pride

Visit www.thechamberalliance.com for more information.

Q: As far as your greatest accomplishments at The Chamber Alliance, what’s one thing you’re the proudest of and why?

A: We have been fortunate to have great people work with us over the years, our location – producing opportunities for continuous growth and development is second to none, but our greatest accomplishment is staying the course for over 19 years by staying true to our tag line — connecting people and possibilities in West Chester and Liberty Townships and on the I-75 Growth Corridor. Recognized as a very transient area, we are the epicenter for new business development between Cincinnati and Dayton and the catalyst for shaping the future growth between Interstate 275 and Interstate 675 on one of the heaviest traveled interstates in the United States, Interstate 75. During that time, The Chamber Alliance has been a consistent pillar of leadership and support to the development of West Chester, Liberty and our region.

Q: How have you seen community leaders engage through The Chamber Alliance?

A: We hold various forums for community and regional leaders to engage through our Chamber. We have events where community and regional leaders present on various topics – at our monthly membership luncheons, they might be a keynote speaker at one of our signature events or participate in panel discussions like "Meet the Candidates Night" that we hold prior to elections. We are fortunate to have well attended events that also include our community and regional leaders in attendance, even when they are not presenting.

Q: Why would you encourage someone to become a member?

A: The West Chester-Liberty Chamber Alliance is a very active and vibrant organization, which focuses on providing a return on the financial and time investment of our members. Since business needs are different, what each business may need from their Chamber membership can vary. We strategize with our members on how they can get the most out of their Chamber membership and help position them for sustainable growth by suggesting they become a student of our ever-developing region. As an example: West Chester and Liberty Townships are the epicenter of business activity and are the connector to our two major markets – Dayton to Cincinnati. As West Chester and Liberty Townships continue to grow and development their Central Business Districts (CBD), they will help bring our region together as one metroplex, or Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The Chamber Alliance is in the know by helping attract and retain businesses today and for our future. We're the go-to regional business advocate between Cincinnati and Dayton. Check out our most recent video on the Interstate 75 growth corridor at www.thechamberalliance.com , click on "Chamber" - Videos.

Q: What are some of the ways The Chamber Alliance best serves the community?

A: The Chamber Alliance has become a valued resource to the business community by providing invaluable information to our members to help them strategically grow their business, both short and long term. We have developed strong relations with our local, county, state and federal elected officials, education partners in workforce development and with decision makers in the number one growth industry in our area, the healthcare industry – labeled the most competitive of anywhere in the U.S. Connecting people and possibilities is our tagline and the essence of who we are as a team and what we do daily. It's all about supporting our members and our business community.

Q: Can you touch on one or two of your current initiatives?

A: The HUB Business Center was launched in January to help support our small to medium size businesses. The HUB stands for Helping Unleash Business, and the collaborative events of our partners works to help create jobs for our economy. SCORE is a business coach, providing one-on-one business counseling, group counseling and workshops. Access Business Finance, a certified development company, provides business consulting along with being a lending partner to businesses. Cincinnati State, known for having the largest co-op program of any community college in the nation, provides workforce development support. And The Chamber Alliance is the connector, a regional go-to advocate to each of our partners and the business community.

We are also developing a second Chamber leadership program, Chamber U Leadership Academy. Along with our partners, we will (share the details) once we finalize the (specifics of this) new program. We started the 18th class for our flagship community leadership program, Leadership 21, earlier this month.

Q: One of your signature events, The Women of Excellence gala, is coming up on Nov. 17. What are the details?

A: We will be honoring 10 women who have given of their time and talents to make our region a better place to live. These outstanding woman through their careers or volunteerism have enhanced business, education, culture and/or philanthropy and have provided outstanding service to our region. The night will be all about the 10 Women of Excellence, highlighted by a video presentation that showcases each honoree. Former corporate executive and community leader, Myrita Craig, will be the keynote speaker, and Debbie Brenneman, a partner with the law firm Thompson Hine and Board Chair of The Chamber Alliance will once again as the emcee. The event will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at Marriott North at Union Centre. The deadline to reserve tickets is Wednesday, Nov. 15.