Good Morning Chamber Leaders-

This will be my final newsletter as President of the Colerain Chamber of Commerce. I have appreciated the constructive feedback over the years, and hope that a word of wisdom or two has found its way into your business. If you have a thought you'd like to share, please reply or contact me directly at president@colerainchamber.org . 

Our new President/CEO, Kerri Robers, will begin using this email address on January 1^st . As you welcome her into the role, be sure to watch for meeting requests, phone calls, and drop-in introductions from Kerri. She is interested in learning about you, your business, and the community's landscape in the coming weeks and months. To do so, she will likely meet you at your place of business, at various chamber events, or across the community. Feel welcome to share your challenges, ideas, and show her the support you've shown me over the last six years; you won't be disappointed. Kerri is awesome!

One bit of news that I wanted to share is that our board of directors has approved a dues increase for 2026. We have been able hold dues steadily for the past three years, without an increase since January 2023. Amid inflation and after carefully considering market trends, budgetary decisions, and programs, the board recommended increasing dues by 3% per year and will continue to base our structure on the number of employees in your organization. Beginning with renewals in January, there will be an increase of between $25 and $100 per year, depending on your organization’s size.

As you will see announced below, in addition to our new President, Kerri Robers, we several board changes that will be taking place in 2026.

• Two new chamber board members are joining our leadership. Tashonda Wooten (The Balloon Parlor) and Ja'Lah Willingham (Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly) bring energy and years of business experience to our already robust board of directors.

• Jelani Jackson (Richie's Chicken & Soul) will be stepping down from the board after 3 years of service. Thank you, Jelani, for all you and Danielle have done and will continue to do to make Colerain an even better place to live, work, and play. 

• Susan Bennett will also be retiring from the board of directors after 9 years of service to the board; term limits allow for three consecutive 3-year terms. She served as President of the Board in 2023-2024 and has given back tirelessly in various ways over the years, including spearheading the Hands Across Colerain event in July with fellow board member Ryna Rajagopal. THANK YOU, SUSAN! We wish her well as she starts a new chapter of service in our community.

Finally, as I shared with all of you over the last two months, Patti and I aren't leaving the community. We have been blessed with so many wonderful relationships since arriving from Illinois in February 2020. We look forward to serving Colerain in various ways. With 50 non-profit organizations within the chamber alone, there will be plenty of volunteer opportunities for us to stay involved. 

It has been a pleasure to serve the business community of Colerain. Thank you for your support, your love, and your friendship.

Warm regards,

TEAM UP TO GREEN UP

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3RD

10:00AM

VITUALLY (via Zoom)

Let's work together to reduce our environmental impact and promote eco-friendly practices. For more information email Lora at

teamuptogreencupcolerain@gmail.com

Now is the Time to Reconsider Your Medical Benefit Plan:

If your organization or nonprofit is looking for ways to enhance its health coverage while cutting costs, now is the perfect time to act! By being a Colerain Chamber member, your company is eligible to take part in our partnership with Cincinnati Benefit Solutions. This exclusive opportunity offers significant savings on medical coverage for businesses with as few as 2-50 employees or larger organizations with 51+ employees. In fact, one of our Chamber members recently saved $25,000 annually on their Blue Cross Blue Shield coverage by switching to the Southern Ohio Chamber Alliance (SOCA) Benefit Plan through Cincinnati Benefit Solutions. These savings aren’t just rare, they’re the standard for many Chamber members.

What Sets Us Apart?

Cincinnati Benefit Solutions, a trusted partner in the Cincinnati area, is built on a foundation of integrity and commitment. They offer a range of employee benefit solutions.

Here’s why so many of our members are choosing the SOCA Benefit Plan:

• Recruit & Retain Top Talent: A 2-employee Chamber member used this plan to recruit a key employee from a competitor.
• Significant Savings: A 5-employee software company saved $24,000 annually by switching to this plan.
• Affordable Health Insurance: Several members, including a 5-employee restaurant, a 4-employee manufacturing company, and a 3-employee sign company, believed health insurance was out of reach. Now, they’re all enrolled and saving.
• Exclusive for Small Businesses and Non-Profits: Available for organizations with 2-50 employees, these plans offer flexibility and affordability.

In many cases, these savings exceed the cost of Colerain Chamber membership itself!

Take Action Today Don’t miss this opportunity to save on your health insurance costs while improving your benefits offerings.

For more information or to get a quote, contact Scott Marston at Cincinnati Benefit Solutions today at (513) 661-1114 or via email at smarston@inscbs.com.