As we enter the second half of 2017 it seems timely and appropriate to pause for a moment and take stock of where we are as an organization.  As a Chamber of Commerce we are first and foremost a membership organization.  Our mandate and purpose is to help our members succeed.  As I look over our member directory I am struck by the quality and caliber of our membership.  One shining example of just such a member is the creative COOP and perhaps they could serve as a role model, of sorts, for all of us. 

First, a little background...launched as its own business in 2016, the COOP is a joint partnership of Jodi Melfi Design, DiBlasio Photo+Design, and MNB.Marketing.  Together they function as Licking County's first co-working space that offers desk and/or meeting space for lease on an hourly or monthly basis.  Perhaps most importantly, they actively strive to provide a supportive environment for entrepreneurs to grow their business ideas.  In addition to the practical benefits and cost saving features of offering a co-working space Jodi, Chad, and Michelle are quick to extoll the unique value of creative idea sharing among themselves and their lessees.  It can be lonely and isolating working solo from home...in this fertile co-working environment the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  You can learn more about the creative COOP at creativecoopspace.com, or, simply ask Jodi, Chad, or Michelle the next time you see one of them at a Chamber Member luncheon, or at an After Hours networking gathering, or behind-the-scenes at a Chamber sponsored event.  Don't worry...it won't take long as they are Chamber regulars - and you could be one too.

Certainly the creative COOP's accomplishments to date are a testament to their individual talents and commitment to their goals.  But, I also believe that their active Chamber involvement and participation has helped them in their efforts.  We're all familiar with the phrase "You get out of an organization what you put into it".  I think that Jodi, Chad, and Michelle would support and reinforce this view.  As a Chamber part of our mission is to stimulate commerce, advocate for our businesses, and support responsible business development.  By its very nature the creative COOP is actively pursuing these same goals.  Ideally membership in the Chamber is mutually beneficial.  We can help you attain your goals and objectives and, as you become more engaged and involved with the Chamber, we are better able to accomplish our mission.    

I'm delighted to announce that Angela Katona has recently joined the Chamber staff as Marketing/Administrative Assistant! You may recognize her name as owner/founder of White Birch Organizing - her local professional organizing business which joined the Chamber back in December.   She'll continue to operate and grow her personal business while providing valuable support in the Chamber office on a part-time basis.  I am delighted to have her on board and look forward to partnering with her in providing you, our Members, with first rate support and service.  See below for a summary of Angela's robust background and experience.

Angela's career to date has been about evenly balanced between work in corporate settings in the private sector (about 7 years) and self-employment in several capacities as small business owner and sole proprietor (approximately 7 years).  With an academic background in Social Work, her earlier corporate engagements were chiefly in the capacity of Social Services Director and/or Admissions Director for nursing care facilities in Virginia, Massachusetts, and Ohio.  Since starting her family and returning to the workforce her more recent self-employment has been in the fields of personal care, direct selling gift sales, and, most recently, in the realm of business and professional organizing.  Throughout both phases of her career she has demonstrated consistent skills and interest in the following areas:  customer service, marketing and sales, evaluation and process/systems creation, event management, relationship building, and networking and community engagement. Angela is a self- starter by nature who is adept at money management and her personal characteristics and strengths include creativity, reliability and responsibility.