Sustainability is a guiding principle for the Chamber
COLLEEN DIPIRRO Chamber of Commerce President
Each year I do a year in review, identifying the activities of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce for the last 12 months. The article always includes mention of programs and their success and new member offerings. I often wonder if anyone reads these columns, which are basically brag reports and only have value to readers if I hit on something of current interest to them. You could remove Amherst and replace it with White Plains or Saratoga, and the reader wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

So this year I am going to write about a new principle that has evolved at the Chamber - sustainability. As we all know, Amherst is a hub in Western New York. We have experienced the most significant job growth in the region for two decades. Our schools are amongst the best in the country. Our housing stock is diversified and, in most instances, affordable. We have great services. The Chamber has benefited from this excellence as our membership has swelled. We are currently the second largest chamber in the surrounding seven-county region and one of the tenth largest chambers in the state. Our current challenge is to sustain this advantage; maintaining our community and our Chamber.

This fall we presented Sustainable Amherst to the Town Board and received tremendous support. The Task Force charged with developing this report, led by Chamber Board Member David Flynn of Phillips Lytle, recognized that recognition for land use regulations and infrastructure improvements were necessary if Amherst was to remain a great place to live and work. Much of our program of work for the next 24 months will be dedicated to actions related to the 14 points of this plan. We are currently developing groups made up of volunteers, Chamber representatives and public officials and department

heads to guide this effort. For a copy of the report, go to AmherstChamber.org or call the Amherst Chamber at 632-6905.

A second component of our sustainability efforts relate to our members. The Chamber is committed to providing our members with the tangible products and services necessary for them to grow their profits and sustain their businesses. All of our activities and offerings will support this principle. Our Suburban Solutions Center is another valuable tool for our members and the community. We have hosted individuals from out of town who needed a private office with Wi-Fiaccess for one day as well as large corporations who used our video conferencing capabilities and full food service and everything in between. While we continue to offer basic services such as Business After Hours and networking groups, we are diversifying our offerings to meet the ever-changing challenges of businesses.

Ultimately, the successful implementation of our vision to provide assistance to the community's sustainability and our members' sustainability will provide the Chamber with sustainability. We have reached out to our members and listened to their comments, prioritized their needs based on feedback, and reinvented our Chamber.