For about 30 years I was heavily involved with the association that represented the industry from which I made a living; the painting industry. I was an active member as a contractor and then served nearly 20 years as a staff member for the same national trade association. I became an apostle for the value of associations. They (associations) are so American as Alexis de Tocqueville, a 19th century statesman for France stated. "The coming together of people for a common purpose, both public and private, binds Americans to an idea of a nation larger than selfish desires." The freedom offered in the United States allows citizens to come together to work for a common purpose and common good. I have spent most of my life believing in that basic principle.

My wife and I moved to Show Low in January of 2004, knowing only the names of the people that worked in the paint store that I purchased. I believed it was imperative that I become involved in the community. The Chamber was the first place I turned to. Within a short time I was asked to run for the board of directors. Reason; I had attended ribbon cuttings, mixers, social events and had come to know several active citizens as well as business and governmental leaders within our community. I accepted because of my belief in the value of associations and the experiences I had acquired over the years prompted me to contribute.

Since the beginning of my first term, I have pushed for the Chamber to focus more on "commerce" and less on the management of community social events such as parades, etc. The latter are of value in the long run for all businesses, but I wanted to be more supportive of the day to day business needs of our membership. I am now in my fifth year of service with the Chamber and we are starting to make some significant inroads toward that goal. Negotiations with the city have the Chamber still responsible for the Tourism and Information Bureau that is housed at the Chamber offices. I am amazed at the hundreds of people who walk into the Chamber office every month seeking information about the area. It is an extremely valuable service to the community and is handled by some wonderful staff members who greet each individual as a friend and a potential new resident.

I look forward to working with our new Executive Director, Gordon Kearl. His experiences as a businessman, a leader in the military, and most recently as a city councilman for Show Low, will invigorate our organization and bring about new and improved business services to all of our members.

Our Board of Directors is group of individuals willing to give up time and energies to make the Chamber a beneficial service agency for all businesses within the White Mountains. The current Board is seeking additional qualified candidates to serve with us. Our goal is a board that is representative of all types of business needs and interests.

Teddy Roosevelt said, "Every man has an obligation to give of his time, talents, and resources to the industry that provides him a living." I feel the same way about membership in the Chamber of Commerce. It is a privilege to be able to own a business in America; it brings with it a moral obligation to belong and participate in the association the works to make the business community and environment a better place. I invite your participation.

Words are simply symbols that convey meanings. For example, what do you think of when you see the words "chamber" and "commerce"? Do they represent a community organization that just gives away free brochures and maps and answers questions? Do the words represent a source of small loans to local businesses? Are they a title for a small City government agency, funded by city government? Well, none of those definitions are accurate.

As the new Executive Director of the Show Low Chamber of Commerce, I would like to invite you to consider the following: a chamber is a gathering place for people with common interests; and, commerce means the exchange of goods, services and ideas. In other words, the Show Low Chamber of Commerce is the joining together in membership large numbers of individual business owners that share the common interests of doing good things for our community while achieving growth and prosperity for their businesses.

One of the most common questions I am asked is, "Do consumers really support businesses because they are chamber members?" Recent studies conclude that the answer is clearly "Yes." Most consumers think that being active in the local chamber of commerce is an effective business strategy for both small and large businesses. Further, surveys confirm that if a company or business shows that it is involved in its local chamber (e.g. maintaining membership, sitting on the chamber board), consumers are more likely to think that its products and services stack up better against the competition. And when the consumer thinks a chamber member's products and services are superior, it is because he or she infers that the company is trustworthy, engages in good business practices, is involved in the community, and cares about customers regardless of whatever they may or may not already think about your business!

I know that studies are not enough to show our members real value for joining the Show Low Chamber of Commerce. Therefore, I am placing a renewed emphasis on those two critical words. As a member of the "chamber" you can expect us to facilitate, educate, advocate, and invigorate to improve "commerce" in Show Low and the surrounding area. As your Chamber, we want to make it easier for you to match up your goods and services with consumer needs in our area, to establish connections with other business support organization, and to obtain, real business results. We want to provide training and other business education opportunities and serve as your central "repository" of information about business planning, management, expansion, and transfer. We want to plead your causes and argue your business issues before state and local governments, tourist organizations, and academic institutions. And, of course, we want to energize and enliven your Chamber with social mixers, networking events, promotions like ribbon-cuttings and television and radio appearances, and perhaps special-interest groups within the Chamber.

One of our leading business owners wrote recently that because of his Chamber membership he met intelligent, motivated, and interesting people working outside of his field of expertise, that membership was an excellent way to become an active part of the community, and that he was regularly benefiting from business referrals that originated through his Chamber activity.

If you would like have your business benefit from the real meaning of the words "chamber" and "commerce," please call me at (928) 537-2326 or stop by my office at 81 E. Deuce of Clubs in Show Low and let's talk.