Morris Chamber is Leading the Way!

Spring 2020
As we begin our 100th year, I consistently hear how the reputation of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce precedes us. In this issue we celebrate the diversity of programming that we offer that gives this chamber the impact it has. We pride ourselves on providing opportunities to hear from and speak with thought leaders.
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We welcomed Linda Bowden, New Jersey regional president PNC Bank, as our keynote speaker at the 2020 Annual Meeting. Linda inspired the audience of 600 with her overview of her journey and perspective on effective leadership. Similarly, the Women in Business program closed 2019 on a high note with financial advisor, television personality and author Jean Chatzky as keynote. Jean imparted her wisdom and dispensed advice to a rapt audience of 300. The event concluded with a book signing.  ​

At the chamber we are committed to developing our members as leaders, offering a variety of volunteer leadership opportunities such as serving as committee chair or vice chair, serving on a subcommittee or an event committee, or serving as ambassador. We offer public speaking and networking seminars. We also expanded the Young Professional Committee into the RiseMorris program and are developing an advisory board of members under the age of 40 to oversee this program. This is a fantastic opportunity for the young professionals in your organization to network and develop leadership skills.  

We are also excited to support the next generation of business leaders, and encourage them to stay in New Jersey, through partnerships with our higher education members. In particular, through the Morris County Economic Development Corporation and partner MorrisTech MeetUp, the chamber presented the PitchNJ high school business plan competition that was held at the Fairleigh Dickinson University Madison campus and also offered an event at Drew University that brought together chamber members and students for an impactful evening of networking.

As a chamber we pride ourselves on being “for business, and for life.” In addition to offering additional social opportunities, including monthly evening networking, the chamber is keenly aware of the personal obligations of our members, many of whom have elderly parents to care for and may also have employees who are caretakers, as well. Eldercare and elder law are two important growing sectors of the county and region and also represented in our membership. In our article this issue, “Morris County Rises to Meet the Silver Tsunami,” we highlight how our members are addressing this important need.  

We are making strides at connecting more deeply with our members and the larger business community. Ed Ramirez, director of business resources for the MCEDC, is offering a needs-assessment and one-to-one coaching services and is available for consultations by appointment. He is also conducting a dedicated outreach to minority businesses in Morris County and will be teaching an entrepreneur and small business training program in Dover starting this spring, partnering with nonprofit and banking members. 

Finally, we welcome new staff member Kaileigh (Kay) Hilling to our team, who serves as the chamber’s executive assistant. Please join me in welcoming her. She can be reached at kaileigh@morrischamber.org. She will provide invaluable support to our team and the organization.  
I appreciate all your dedication to the chamber’s mission to work collaboratively to advance your interests and champion a thriving business and community environment. Thanks to you, the chamber is a vibrant and valuable organization for making connections and growing your network.

Read Business Edge Spring 2020 Edition