 As you all know, time goes by quickly and I truly have felt the speed of time this year as Chair of the Board of Directors. It’s hard to imagine that it was less than a year ago that Dave Garth announced his retirement. Within that same month the issue of binding arbitration was coming to a head, and so, my year as chair began.
As I reflect on the last twelve months, what I’ve been inspired by most is the dedication and commitment of our members and volunteers. I called on many individuals this year to assist us in numerous initiatives including our first ever five year strategic plan, taking political action to promote passage of measures A and B, recruiting a new CEO, and celebrating our 20th anniversary of Leadership San Luis Obispo. The willingness of everyone to provide their time, expertise and financial resources to support our mission of building a thriving community while maintaining an incredible quality of life is simply phenomenal—even Oprah took notice.
Change always brings new beginnings. Even planned or positive change still creates stress on an organization as they deal with new approaches and ideas that are different from the old way of doing things. The staff of the chamber, during this year of change, has stepped up to new levels of performance which is positioning the chamber to continue to grow and thrive even in these uncertain economic times.
I’m proud to have had the opportunity to lead the chamber board during this year of transition and feel fortunate to have seen so many people step up to the plate to participate and ensure the long term success of the chamber. It has truly been a thought-provoking, stretching-my-leadership-skills, event filled year. Lastly, I am confident that under the leadership of Ermina Karim and Russ Levanway, incoming chair, the tradition and the strength of the chamber shall flourish this coming year.
I hope you, your employees and your family have a safe and fun filled holiday season and that 2012 is a “Make It Happen” year for you.
Michael Gunther
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