As we begin 2024, it’s an exciting time of the year. The holiday season brings a lot of warm feelings to us personally, while the rush of shopping gives many of our business community optimism for the months ahead.

2023 was a very good one for the Chamber. We almost didn’t want the year to end. Here are a few highlights:

• Our member relations manager, Bobbi Kellough, set a new personal record for most new members in a calendar year with 110. Our investors now number nearly 800 businesses, most based in Ross County.
• We released our first strategic plan, which outlined four key priorities for Our Chamber through 2025. We’ve already made significant progress on those initiatives.
• Our workers’ compensation partnership with Sedgwick beat the statewide trend and grew in the 2023 policy year. We grew the program to 54 businesses with a projected savings of $233,699.
• Our Chamber helped to welcome more than 20 new businesses to the community with ribbon cuttings or open house celebrations. Those included a trip to Columbus to help celebrate Maggie’s Farm and Aromatics’ new store in the Polaris Fashion Place and a trip to Jackson to celebrate the new offices of the Area Agency on Aging.
• Our Advocacy Committee worked hard to guide our members on local issues. It gave our members face time with State Rep. Mark Johnson, the U.S. and Ohio Chambers, and the Ohio Restaurant Association.

But with the success come some challenges as well.

Wendi Bennett, a valued team member since 2020, left at the end of November. Wendi was essential to the growth of our Thrive Chillicothe business development programming in her time here and a steady hand as program manager for the Ross County Safety Council. She’s off to Shawnee State to work in student services, which is a life-long passion for her. We wish her all the best.

With every challenge comes opportunity, and we meet opportunities head-on around here. By the time you read this, we will be preparing for a new employee in a new role to join our staff. Our new position will be an event and marketing coordinator. We’ll introduce you to the new person in the coming weeks.

We also have two new board members coming in 2024 – Jason Vesey of Pickaway-Ross Career and Technology Center and Will Frizzell of Pioneer Center/Ross Board of DD. At the end of this year, however, we’ll have four open board spots to fill.

As we get the new employee up to speed, we’re also fine-tuning a new dues structure that we began work on in 2023. A special subcommittee comprised of board members and others worked with a nationally recognized specialist in the field to construct the tiers. This new structure will more closely align investment levels to what businesses use and want from Our Chamber. We’ve always had great support from Chillicothe and Ross County businesses, and we believe this new structure will enhance that relationship.

We’ll also soon have the second edition of our Relocation and Community Guide ready for delivery. Produced locally in partnership with Metropolis Design Studio and Star City Press, the guide is packed with stories and information we can all be proud to tout to visitors and those considering our county for relocation.

Our advocacy efforts will include the upcoming State of the Community event on Friday, March 8. We’re working on quarterly advocacy briefings and ways to engage our state officials on the matters that would help Ross County the most. Closer to home, we’re engaging our city and county officials on issues that hinder business.

There’s a lot to look forward to in 2024. Our World Heritage site designation should see an influx of visitors starting as the weather warms. Let’s get things started!

Mike Throne is the president and CEO of the Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce and the co-host of the locally focused Feels Like Home podcast. He can be reached at mthrone@chillicotheohio.com.