Another election season is upon us. Casting a vote requires one to take time away from the normal grind and to get smart on the ballot initiatives, candidates and local measures that will impact our tomorrow. It’s what we call civic engagement, it’s our responsibility.
As a regional chamber covering the six-county Capital Region, the Metro Chamber has a policy team in place monitoring elections at all local, county and state levels. We understand that creating a business-friendly region requires candidates and policies focused on economic development and job growth and initiatives that support those ends.
Advocacy is at the core of the Metro Chamber. We work daily to build a business-friendly environment so you can focus on running your business, enjoying your family and friends and being an active member of our community.
Each year the Metro Chamber hosts a day at the State Capitol focused on meeting with state legislators to learn their priorities for the year and to weigh in on important bills that have been proposed and those being drafted. We take hundreds of business, civic, and community leaders to Washington, D.C. to work directly with our federal representatives and agencies to ensure our nation’s capital understands our region’s needs and is addressing them appropriately. And our Study Mission takes us to a different city to speak with their leaders to better understand what is working (and sometimes what is not) so we can bring those lessons learned back home.
We also have the Metro-PAC which acts as the Chamber’s political action committee interviewing and meeting with candidates so we can identify those who best understand the needs of the business community.
But for us to advocate on the business community’s behalf, we need your voice, opinions and participation. We need your voice, not just in November, but all-year round. Join one of our standing policy committees, attend our Capitol-to-Capitol program to D.C., help us plan our next Study Mission, be willing to share your thoughts next time we send out a survey or give you a call. We represent you and will continue to advocate on your behalf, it’s our responsibility.