Looking Toward The Future With An Eye On The Past

​As my first quarter as president of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce comes to a close, I wanted to take the opportunity of my initial column in Business Edge to share with you my impressions of and visions for the chamber.
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Ours is a remarkable chamber. Our more than 800 members represent a wide array of businesses, products and services, and skills. The chamber comprises enterprises ranging from sole proprietorships and start-ups to multi-generational family businesses to regional, national and international corporations, all representing a full spectrum of business sectors. This variety is our strength and reflects what makes Morris County such a financial engine, locally, statewide and nationally.

It is the mission of the chamber to connect our members – to each other, to legislators, to the nonprofit community and to educational resources. We advocate for your interests while looking to provide you with additional tools to help you achieve greater success, including our continued participation in Opportunity New Jersey, a grassroots coalition comprising employers, employees, businesses, trade groups, community organizations and other concerned citizens in the state. In doing so, we raise the economic tide and all our collective boats.
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I was fortunate to spend four years working beside Paul Boudreau, my predecessor, during which time I saw how a great chamber leader toils for the benefit of all members, large and small. Working closely with our new board president, Trish O’Keefe, president of Morristown Medical Center, and our entire board of directors, I look forward to building on the solid foundation Paul has left for me and continually improving on our past successes.

We will start with a new strategic plan being developed by the board. Within that framework and with the board’s guidance, I hope to implement a vision for the chamber that includes:

• Implementation of a mentor program started last year
• Small business development courses and webinars with chamber members as presenters 
• Thought Leadership opportunities to highlight the great work of our members 
• Additional sponsorship opportunities for our members to spotlight their companies and elevate their brand
• Building on our “Ask the Expert” program
• An additional leadership program
• Additional networking opportunities
• Tours of facilities and businesses of interest to members
• Exploration of co-working opportunities for members
• Reinvigoration of the Business and Education Together Foundation 
  
  

I also look forward to more closely aligning the missions of the chamber and the Morris County Economic Development Corporation, as the economic interests of our members and that of the county and its communities are so intertwined.

I would be remiss not to mention how fortunate I am to have inherited such a remarkable staff, slate of committees and subcommittees, volunteers and Morris Business Cabinet. They are the tip of the arrow and we can never thank them enough.

Finally, I look forward to hearing from and working with you, our members. This is your chamber; I am simply your caretaker. Please feel free to contact me with any thoughts or recommendations you might have about how to improve our already great chamber.
 
Meghan Hunscher
President 

Read Business Edge Spring 2019 Edition