When I was hired in April of 2022, I asked the Board of Directors to help create a professional survey to ask the Tualatin businesses about their most important needs from their Chamber of Commerce.
The Tualatin Chamber Board of Director’s intention is to be focused and relevant in supporting Tualatin businesses to recover and be supported. So, it was important to us that we ask our businesses, “What can we do that would most help you?” We sent the survey out in June of 2022 and the answers were:
- The respondents loved the networking and community outreach,
- They had a need for workforce development (recruiting and retaining employees)
- And they wanted more government advocacy.
The survey showed that the “Covid” situation had left them with various staffing problems that they could not resolve, and this was preventing them from operating at full capacity.
So, since we cannot become an employment agency, we set about forming a new committee that could coordinate very focused business classes on employee retention, recruitment, company culture, best practices in business, and innovative internships.
This new committee is called “The Engagement Committee” and is made up of five professionals who are dedicated to coordinating business education classes to help our businesses learn new strategies. You can see their portraits in the Ad in this edition of Tualatin Life.
Riley Anderson, of Academy Mortgage, has taken the role of Chair of this committee and has worked very hard for six months to create a team around him that is focused and driven. Ethan Peterson, of Miss Hannah’s Gourmet Popcorn, is Vice Chair and has been focused on assisting the Chair and coordinating the best beverages and continental breakfast for the events. Karlin McNiel, of Fisher Investments, is in charge of marketing the education series. Willie Fisher, of Clackamas Community College’s Business Solutions department, is our business education expert and this month’s Seminar presenter. Finally, Amanda Ballard, of Oasis Senior Advisors, is in charge of social media and event registration. This team is polished, professional, and ready to serve!
The first educational offering is a high-level series we have designed called “The Tualatin Chamber Seminars at Perlo.” Perlo construction company has generously given their auditorium six times a year for these seminars and Nathan Holden Real Estate and Personal Photography is our presenting sponsor. Please join us on January 25th to hear the first “Seminar at Perlo” presenter of the year, Willie Fisher, on employee retention and recruitment.
The Tualatin Chamber of Commerce intends to help create a powerful new year for Tualatin businesses! Please invest in the Tualatin Chamber of Commerce because the Tualatin Chamber of Commerce is investing in you!