Chamber board seeking directors

The Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber is seeking nominations from its membership for positions on the nine-member Board of Directors.

Directors are elected by ballot at the Chamber’s Annual Dinner on Feb. 7 with a three-year term beginning in February.

According to Stacy Crimmins, CEO of the Chamber, the terms due to expire currently are held by Jim Copeland, Shannon Fagan and Jonathan Schnal. All three directors have expressed interest in serving another three-year term and will be added to the ballot. In addition, there are two open seats that expire in February 2020. One seat is open due to the resignation of Danyel Chitwood and the elected person would fill out that term.

Mission and Vision

The vision for the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce is to be the “go-to” center for businesses and visitors in the Valley. The Chamber’s vision is to be viewed as a trusted, informative and well-represented organization that is in touch with the Valley. Finally, the mission of the Chamber is to serve Valley businesses and visitors to enhance our economic vibrancy.

“Fulfilling the vision, value and mission statements is definitely challenging but also very rewarding,” expressed Crimmins. She then added, “I believe the Chamber has accomplished great things in the past few years, and much of its success is due to the great people who have volunteered their time to serve on the board of directors.”

Members of the Chamber Board are expected to establish the mission of the Chamber with policies and objectives. They should also exercise financial stewardship and ensure that legal and ethical policies are adopted and followed. The board is also charged with assessing its own performance as well as that of the CEO. Board members are also asked to advocate for the organizations and small business to ultimately ensure success and provide continuity for the organization.

Current Chairman of the Board of Directors, Jonathan Schnal said, “It’s amazing what people can do when they have a common goal. Serving as a Chamber Director is also an honor.”

Eligibility

To be eligible to serve on the Board, one must be a member of the Chamber either as a business owner/manager, or as an employee of a business member. An individual person can also be an Associate member and thereby be eligible to serve. Crimmins says “It is ideal to have a cross section of the business community on your Chamber Board. That ensures that the membership is well represented.” Board Members volunteer about 5 hours per month in addition to helping with sponsored events and activities.

For more specific information or questions, please call the chamber office at 307-326-8855. Crimmins advised, “I would encourage anyone who has interest to visit with a current board member for advice. These people are leaders in both the business world and in their community and are a wealth of knowledge.”