Note: This column appears in print in the January 2023 issue of Great Seal Living.

Happy New Year! If your 2022 was as great as the Chamber’s was, you’re likely anxious to see what unfolds in the days and months ahead.

Let’s review for a moment. 2022 was a very successful year for Our Chamber, but the bulk of the work we did in the latter days of the year lays the groundwork for future success. We evaluated and revamped our mission, vision, and values, and began work on a three-year strategic plan designed to maximize our impact for businesses across the region. More on that in a moment.

Our Chamber held its first full slate of events in more than two years, as our planned Business After Business events, Annual Awards, Golf Outing, and Puttin’ on the Ritz regained their footing again – each successful and profitable for our efforts. In addition, we did at least one Thrive Chillicothe business building event each month. The topics included how to excel at social media marketing, grant writing, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and much more.

But we’re most proud of our work to set the stage for future growth. As our board and staff discussed how to approach the coming years, we discovered that our mission, vision, and values hadn’t been touched since they were originally written in 2007. A lot happened in that 15 years, so we decided to revisit them with some help from Steve Hummel of Transitions Unlimited. Our board met to discuss the future direction for our organization and make plans.

The result is a bold, new mission and vision for Our Chamber. The Mission Statement is: The Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce serves to connect our investors and partners to resources that will allow them to drive growth and change in our community. Our Vision is: We exist to make Ross County the best place for business and people to grow and thrive.

We chose four new values to guide and drive our work in Ross County. They are:

Leadership: We support and provide opportunities for our investors to drive change and growth.

Integrity: We will act ethically & compassionately with our investors and partners, to serve others with empathy, respect, and dignity.

Collaboration: We work with our investors, within our organization, and with our community partners, to help everyone win.

Advocacy: We will lead on key issues, while maintaining independence, for our investors.

We also talked about our goals for the next few years and areas that we will focus on to help our community get closer to its full potential. Ultimately, we believe this will lead to a forward-thinking strategic plan we will unveil later this year.

2023 will also see the latest edition of our popular Relocation and Community Guide, with new stories about the community and spotlights on the people, places, and businesses that make Chillicothe and Ross County unique.

Finally, we’re rethinking the way we market and charge for our services. A subcommittee of our board is engaged with an expert that will help us tailor dues to what our members use, while also opening our membership to new businesses. The end goal is to connect more businesses to the Chamber’s toolbox, helping them grow and thrive.

2022 was a great year, but it’s no time to rest on our laurels. It’s time to plan and execute a vision that will keep the years that follow great.

Mike Throne is the president and CEO of the Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce and a co-host, with Marty Ford, of the Feels Like Home podcast, a locally focused podcast spotlighting the people of Chillicothe and Ross County. Reach out to him at mthrone@chillicotheohio.com.