Over this past year, I have heard many people in our area believe the North Clackamas County Chamber of Commerce is a part of the county, a county department. Is that because County is in our name? Could it be as a result of decades of promoting the greater community, business and tourism destinations which the public assumes is funded through public dollars? I don’t quite know.
Whatever the reason, it is important for the community to know that we are a private, non-profit business organization. Our mission is to advocate and serve business so it can grow and succeed in the North Clackamas region. Business succeeds when there is livability for families thus our support for schools and promotion of recreational opportunities in the area. Families have a strong foundation when there are good jobs and a stable economic base close to home, thus our efforts for the betterment of regulations, taxes, and leaders that listen to understand the needs of business to thrive.
The Chamber of Commerce is the organizer of people and businesses where they can meet, greet and help each other find local products and vendors, solutions for their challenges, and information resources. Member businesses benefit from not only the programs and services that convene but more subtlety and perhaps more importantly, contributing to the joined efforts of hundreds of businesses who recognize together, our voice is stronger than standing alone on an issue that support business. This is done with private member investments.
Unlike a chamber of commerce that serves a single city, the North Clackamas County Chamber of Commerce serves 4 cities and a very large unincorporated area in this county. It is very important for us to work with our elected officials and public partners to achieve what is best for our community. So perhaps having “county” in our name helps to reflect our regional diversity as well as the diversity of partners we engage in the business conversations. Nevertheless, Your Chamber is a private organization working on business members behalf for a strong local community and economy. Who do you know you can tell? Who do you know that should belong to this important voice for business? We’d like to introduce ourselves. We are Your Chamber – a private business organization.