Taking Stock of the U.S. Chamber

As the holidays rapidly approach and I start looking ahead to the New Year, something that I am really excited about is my new found relationship with the United States Chamber of Commerce. Last May, I was invited to attend their 2009 Business Civic Leadership Center’s (BCLC) Annual Conference in Chicago. That’s where I witnessed firsthand, what can happen, when dedicated and committed professionals from the public and private sectors come together and work as one. While the wheels were spinning off the bus on the U.S. and world economy, the BCLC was already rolling out a program called “Together for Recovery.” Its focus was helping businesses, individuals and communities do more than just survive, but actually fight back and prosper, as opposed to becoming victims of their circumstances. Since attending this event, I have been drinking U.S. Chamber and BCLC Kool-Aid by the case.

The conference moves to Houston, TX for 2010 and I am honored to have been asked to be a member of the Working Group that is planning it. This National Conference on Corporate Community Investment is a “must attend” for leaders of their communities: business leaders, chamber executives, bankers, investors, elected officials, non-profits, educators. Any stakeholder in a leadership role in his or her community should plan to be in Houston, May 12-14, 2010. This year’s theme will be: PROVIDE and PROSPER: Corporate Citizenship and Competiveness in the 21st Century.

As unprecedented challenges and opportunities continue to reshape how our businesses compete and our communities live, The Chamber, the BCLC and its members continue to pioneer innovative, sustainable solutions to these real-world challenges. At the 2010 BCLC National Conference on Corporate Community Investment, you'll meet and interact with the nation's top corporate, government and non-profit thought leaders as they address solutions to America's most vexing competitive challenges: “Energy and the Environment,” “Health and Wellness,” and the one that’s nearest and dearest to my heart, “Job Creation.”

Before I close, I’d like to sincerely thank Stephen Jordan and Katie Loovis at the BCLC and U.S. Chamber, for so generously featuring RetroTax and me in their year-end report and video, Together for Recovery: “Business is Part of the Solution.” This is a compilation of stories about how the business community is helping individuals, non profits, communities, and small businesses weather the ongoing economic storm.

Link to report: http://www.uschamber.com/bclc/together_retrotax.htm

Link to video: http://www.youtube.com/civicleadership#p/u/0/ANliWoKks50

Finally, let me wish you all a very Merry Christmas, or your appropriately “PC” Happy Holiday Greeting of choice.

Together for Recovery Provides Path for Economic Resolution

A few weeks ago, I wrote about an organization that I have recently been introduced to and for whom I have subsequently committed to work tirelessly. It is called the Business Civic Leadership Center. (BCLC) is an arm of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce. Its mission is to advance the positive role of business in society. As such, (BCLC) and the U.S. Chamber work with leaders from business, government, and non-governmental organizations to address and act on shared goals.

Given the depth of the current recession and credit freeze that our nation has been feeling the pains of, since at least Q4 of 2008, one such goal has been to find a way for all of those served by BCLC to weather this storm. In early May, 2009, (BCLC) and the U.S. Chamber actively engaged the business community, government, and nonprofit organizations to help America get back on its feet. It did so during a Rally for Recovery, at its annual National Conference on Corporate Community Investment in Chicago.

Subsequently, (BCLC) launched: http://www.togetherforrecovery.org/ At this portal, business owners, non-profits, individuals will find a one-stop-shop for information and guidance regarding economic recovery. BCLC and the Chamber has assembled the largest collection of examples on how the business community is part of the solution to economic recovery. If your company is doing something to help blunt this recession but is not yet listed, please tell (BCLC) what you are doing, so that they may update the site and share this with their subscribers.

Personally, I wish to thank Katie Loovis, Director of Business and Society at the (BCLC) and Stephan Jordan, Senior VP of the (BCLC) for inviting my participation in the video that is found at http://www.togetherforrecovery.org/ (BCLC) and the U.S. Chamber are committed to ensuring that that American businesses thrive, and that those of us on Main Streets across America emerge as victors, not victims of these trying times. My sincere thanks to each and every member of their team, for all that they do. Let me encourage you too, to become engaged and involved in the work of this organization.