PICKAWAY PROGRESS: Excited about what the future holds for the Pickaway County Chamber

EDITOR’S NOTE: Published below is speech from Krista Bower, Executive Director of the Pickaway County Chamber of Commerce, that she gave during the Chamber’s annual dinner held at Flora and Field. Bower’s remarks speak to the Chamber’s progress during the past year — hence why the speech is being published in our annual Progress Edition.

Good evening. I’m Krista Bower, the Executive Director of the Pickaway County Chamber of Commerce. Thank you for joining us tonight. I’m delighted to see so many of you. I’d like to take a moment to recognize our local elected officials as well as representatives from the state level that are in attendance.

Michelle Blanton, Mayor of Circleville; Patrick McGrath, Mayor of Tarlton; Harold Henson, Pick Co Commissioner; Gary Scherer, Pick Co Commissioner; Jay Wippel, Pick Co Commissioner; Representative Brian Stewart, Ohio House District 12

Also, here tonight are Kelli Johnson representing US Senator JD Vance and Teresa Lewis from US Representative Brad Wenstrup’s office.

Thank you for your support and advocacy for business in our community.

Now, I’d like to recognize the members of the Pickaway Chamber’s Board of Directors. Please stand when I say your name:

Jessica Calder, Board Chair, Gabrielle Cahill, John Lambert, Sarah Mercer, April Metzger, Brandy Phifer, Allen Roberts; Cristy Stewart, Stacy Young

We added 4 New Board members this year:

Katharine Blades, Bryan Downs, Matthew Majzun, Nicole Mitchell

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention two of our long-standing board members that were unable to attend: Carrie Fife and Christy Mills.

I’m very thankful for the support of the Chamber Board. Being a staff of one can be daunting at times. The Board has stepped up and provided support to help the Chamber move forward.

Let’s give them a round of applause.

I’d like to share a few of our successes from 2023:

MEMBERSHIP: We currently have 332 members. There were 290 when I started in June 2022. We’ve gained 51 new members and lost 9 due to businesses closing or retirements. That’s a 14% increase in membership. Many of those new members are small businesses and solopreneurs. We recognize their needs are much different and are working on programs to support their business.

SUPPORTING MEMBERS THROUGH RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONIES: During 2023, we had 23 ribbon cuttings. These ribbon cuttings celebrated not only new businesses in Pickaway County, but also members who moved to new locations, remodeled, or expanded their business, or celebrated special anniversaries. Chamber board members are great at attending and demonstrating their support and encouragement for these new ventures.

ENGAGEMENT: We’ve increased member engagement opportunities through Business After Hours, Women’s Networking, and other events. In 2023, we held 51 events and engaged about 1,500 people. As you can see from your program, we have a full schedule of member engagement events planned for the rest of 2023. Please add these to your calendar and bring a friend or colleague with you!

WORKFORCE: We work with a variety of entities to identify workforce issues and develop strategies to strengthen and improve our workforce in Pickaway County. Those partners include Ohio Means Jobs, Pickaway County, the Area 20 Workforce Development Board, Pickaway Works, and Pickaway-Ross Adult Education. We post and send eblasts for members looking to fill critical positions. Our revamped website allows members to post job opportunities for anyone to see.

I’m excited about what the future holds for the Pickaway County Chamber. We’ve put systems in place for operations to run smoother.

Last year, our Board participated in a strategic planning process to hone our mission, vision, core values, and set the course for the next 3 years. You will learn more about that work shortly.

Our commitment is to improve our visibility throughout Pickaway County. We want to work together to continue to make your Chamber a worthwhile investment for you and your business. I look forward to working with you to find ways to increase the value of your membership.