Dear Members,

As the whistles begin to blow and the wheels start to slow from this wild ride over the last 6 � years, nostalgia is setting in and I've been able to realize all that we have accomplished together and wanted to share with you.
 

Coming into the Chamber as the first full time Executive Director and really first full time employee of the Chamber was a tremendous challenge.  I remember my first day on the job it was a rainy September day in 2007.  The caboose had no front steps or stoop as they had been removed during the exterior remodel and were not completed yet.  The roof was leaking, and I had to put plastic trash bags over the computers to protect them from the rain.

My initial charge was to "increase visibility and awareness of the Basalt Chamber and grow the Chamber's operating budget and membership."  Truly not much has changed from that initial charge, but my how the times have changed!  Little did we all know that within the year the bottom would fall and we would be in a full blown recession for the next half a decade or more.

 While many Chambers throughout Colorado are struggling to hang on to their finances and membership base, our membership has continued to grow.  We now have over 425 members, a 25% increase during my tenure.  Over the past 6 years, I have succeeded in meeting/exceeding our budget each year and building our cash reserves from $0 to basically a 6 month emergency operating reserve. We have won 5 awards for our growth from the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry (CACI, The State Chamber).  Our overall operating budget has grown from $116,000 to $212,000.  We recently secured marketing funding matching grant from the Town of Basalt for the next 3 years for up to $50,000 per year.

 We have implemented regular operating hours, enabled practices to work remotely when needed, send timely press releases, weekly newsletters, standard monthly networking and educational events, and more.  And most of this has been done with 1 part time assistant.  My first full time assistant was hired in July of 2011.
 

The Basalt Chamber has and continues to actively collaborate with other Chambers in the area.  We have worked on rotating radio spots promoting shop locally, joint marketing and networking opportunities, we are evaluating the potential to renew the Roaring Fork Valley Community Health Plan, and are looking at other ways we can join forces to better our local businesses.  We continue to offer significant discounts to our members through Aspen Skiing Company, various gyms, newspaper & radio advertising, and are always looking at how we can expand those benefits.

 We have completely remodeled the interior and repainted the exterior of the caboose to create a cleaner and inviting environment that allows more room for displays and visitors.   For three years in a row, we have published a wildly successful magazine for Basalt that has other Chambers in the area in awe!  We continue to revamp our website and added new sections and features to coincide with our new directory.  

 Our Summer Concert Series continues to draw people to Basalt each week during the season for free family entertainment.  We have developed this series so that local musicians find it an honor to be listed in our lineup and we always have a wait list of talented artist that wish to perform.  Our Business After Hours and Monthly Lunch and Learns are well attended and have a wait list for hosts and presenters.

 We have moved from the small events driven chamber to more of one focused on our member's needs and demands of being an advocate for their business and supporting them in decisions before Town Council.

 We continue with our signage charge to install better directional signage with our tagline of "Confluence of Rivers Recreation and Culture" as well as more prominent street name signage with a definable logo for the traffic lights along highway 82 within the Town of Basalt.  This has culminated in the design, approval, and installation of the brand new roundabout sign in Downtown.  The Chamber Sign Committee is expected to merge into the Town's Public Arts Commission over the next 6 months to work on bringing more public art including the additional satellite entrance signs to the other areas of Basalt. 

And there is so much more!  The television commercials, FAM tours and promotions, fishing tournaments and other events.  The list really is tremendous.  We have done a lot and you should all be very proud of how far we have come.

 While I still have a few weeks left, I want to let you all know now what an honor it has been to serve you and to thank you all for joining me on this crazy ride.  I appreciate every supporter and critic out there as we all made the difference together.  I encourage you all to get involved over the next year and assist in the transition of a new CEO and help them feel welcome and encouraged to keep the Basalt train moving at full speed.  

 I look forward to seeing you at our final 4 concerts and August BAH and invite you to join us for the Roundabout Monument Dedication tomorrow (Wednesday, July 30) at 4:00pm for a very short dedication ceremony before heading over to Lions Park to dance the night away under the big tent with Fifty 50.

Sincerely,