Concord Mayor Carlyn Obringer, left, proclaimed May 30 “Marilyn Fowler Day” for her 24 years with the Chamber of Commerce. Fowler started in 1995 as a part-time accounting supervisor and was later promoted to chief operations office and then president and chief executive officer before retiring last month.
Concord chamber continues on path to success
As my time as chair of the Concord Chamber of Commerce ends, let me be a little reflective.
When I came in last July, I brought the goal to GROW, which staff and the board took on full-force. GROW is an acronym for Gain Members, Reach Out Beyond our Borders, Opportunities (take advantage of partnerships) and What If (we set huge goals and achieved them?).
I think setting lofty goals makes people stretch just a little further, and I’m proud to say the chamber had its best year ever. Every event was a sell-out, and we actually had to find larger venues. We have the most active membership in chamber history, and we partnered with neighboring chambers on several events of regional interest.
Our staff has been amazing. Melissa Rea successfully put on more events and programs than ever before. She documented all our festivities in the newsletter and social media, really putting the chamber on the map. William Chan continues to round up new members and is making quite a dent on retention as well – ensuring that members see the value of chamber membership.
As you may have heard, long-time CEO Marilyn Fowler retired at the end of May. That is a huge loss, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity. With change comes growth and new ideas.
My company has gone through some changes in the past year as well. We had just changed our name from Tesoro to Andeavor when Marathon Petroleum bought us.
We all learn to adapt. John Maxwell said, “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”
As the city prepares to expand with the Concord Naval Weapons Station property, the chamber’s potential is huge. The chamber is poised for that growth.
We’ll weather the changes – a new chair next month, a new CEO by the end of the year – and we’ll come out a bigger, better chamber that is here to support old businesses and new businesses alike. We’ve got a great future ahead.
For more information on becoming a member of the Concord Chamber of Commerce, please visit www.concordchamber.com or email board@concordchamber.com.