Advocacy Committee Updates

Russ Friedrich of Shaker Auto Lease, Chair of the Advocacy Committee, shares updates from his committee:

Your Chamber of Commerce takes great pride in making the Tri City community a better place for you and your business. The chamber in general promotes a good business environment by providing your business with connections and services to serve you in a positive way. The Chamber also provides venues for you to promote your business, to familiarize you with other businesses throughout our area, and to have an arena for social connections, business tips, and advice.

A branch of the Warrensville Hts. Tri City Chamber of Commerce is its Advocacy Committee. It’s a little known committee but one of the more active committees serving under the general wing of the Chamber. This is a committee that businesses can turn to when they need their city governmental bodies involved in helping to resolve or correct their problems. The committee meets with each of the Tri City Mayors on a semi-annual schedule (more often, when needed) with the intent of stimulating business growth, promoting the cities, and strengthening the business community in general. When problems occur, the committee brings them to the city’s attention and then helps the city officials find a solution. The meetings have an open and positive free flow of ideas bringing about changes that enhance our businesses and the communities they serve.

Here are a few examples of what can be accomplished by both a governmental agency and the chamber advocacy committee working together:

• Some of the roadways in our commercial areas were in extremely poor condition and in dire need of repair. After steady pressure and hard work, the city acquired state monies to begin fixing these areas over the next year or two. State governmental funding doesn’t move quickly, but it is in place.
• Close to where my business is located, we’ve had numerous electrical failures over the past years. When we’re without electricity, we are literally out of business. The committee met with the businesses in my area and presented our problem as a business group to CEI to get to the root of the problem. Mayor Brad Sellers got involved and within a matter of months was able to get CEI to correct the problem. At the June chamber meeting, in talking with some of the businesses at the other end of our street, I was surprised to learn they experience power outages 8 to 12 times a year for 4 to 8 hours at a time, putting them out of business at each occurrence. I quickly organized this group of businesses, contacted CEI and Mayor Sellers, and last week CEI installed new telephone poles throughout the troubled area resolving the problem. Mayor Sellers is a true Advocate for business and always listens with an open ear to help improve his community.

Your Chamber is more to you than you think, stay a member, become involved if you can. I’d love to have you join my committee or help you find a committee that suits you.