Photo by Shamus Pons
The Louisiana Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (LACCE) held its Fall Conference in Jennings, Louisiana August 20-21. During the conference, the Chamber of the Year Awards were presented to East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce for the Small Chamber Category and Lafayette Chamber of Commerce for the Large Chamber Category. Attending the conference to accept the award was the chamber staff, Dawn Sharpe Brackett, CEO; Kendra Hamrick, IT Director; JoBeth Kavanaugh, Membership and Events Director; and Kay Schewe, Information Specialist.
I am extremely proud of our board of directors and the staff of the East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce for their continued dedication and service to our members. The support and enthusiasm created through our office is felt throughout the region and appreciated among our membership. Our membership continues to grow as businesses truly see the benefit of being a member of the East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce.
To be considered for the award, a chamber must submit examples of growth and progress in three areas vital to the organizations success: Community Development – how the chamber has spearheaded or played a key role in positive community changes; Organizational Development- what unique or highly successful programs make the chamber a stronger organization; and Professional Development- how the CEO has distinguished herself as a leader in the community and her profession.
The EST Chamber prides itself on being a voice for business on behalf of our membership on local, state and federal levels. As pointed out in Community Development portion, several governmental affairs events are hosted each year, including Public Policy committee meetings every second Friday. Together with the St. Tammany West Chamber and the Northshore Business Council, a strong grassroots collaboration is present throughout the region and in Washington D.C. through the Joint Public Policy. Other areas focused on were the Education Committee, East St. Tammany Cultural Economy Coalition, Keep Slidell Beautiful, and regional efforts which play a positive role in community changes.
Organizational Development focused on our name change in 2007 to cover a more regional area. Operating as your “Chamber on Demand” for events and satisfying the needs of the membership, the chamber continues to move forward with a strong strategic plan focusing on membership, regional partners, governmental entities, key economic growth, and quality of life issues.
In 2007, when the current CEO, Bill Newton, was asked to serve as the Deputy Chief to the Department of Insurance in Baton Rouge, the Board of Directors asked me, a board member since 2003 to take over the CEO position. Being an active member of the board and native to the community, filling the CEO position with the East St. Tammany Chamber was a new career challenge that I have loved since I accepted. I truly believe that in order to be a great Chamber, you have to employ people who care about the community and wish for it to prosper and succeed. The staff not only works during office hours, but also during playtime and family time to promote business and the excellent quality of life we experience in the East St. Tammany region. Because of the dedication, it shows through our membership and in our community.
The applications for the Chamber of the Year Award are presented to LACCE and sent out of state for judging. Comments from the judges included a score of 99 out of 100, “Double ‘WOW’ and clearly the best”, “awesome examples of program work. Excellent samples and information”, “Very impressive, professionalism in every area.”
The East St. Tammany Chamber is proud to bring the Chamber of the Year Award home to our members and our community. Because of the dedicated staff and board of directors, we will continue to represent our region and grow to protect the quality of life we all cherish. For more information on our upcoming events please visit our website at www.estchamber.com.
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