To our valued stakeholders:
Improving the business climate and quality of life in Jefferson Parish and the region have been among our biggest priorities throughout the past two decades. With our investors in mind, we strive for excellence, maintaining a Five – Star Accredited Chamber of Commerce, placing us in the top 2% of Chambers in the United States. We would like to take this opportunity to let you know how the contributions of investors have promoted successful initiatives in our community throughout the past year.
Advocating on a local, state, and federal level to endorse and support pro-business policies and legislation continues to be our first priority for your business. In 2019, we made great strides in improving the business climate in Jefferson Parish. We spoke out in support of much needed teacher pay raises for the betterment of our public schools. We also worked with our parish leaders to bring industry to the Westbank and retail to the Eastbank. In addition, we are still advocating locally and at the state level for increased funding for early childhood development. We made huge strides on a state level in 2019, but we must do better. And, through our annual scheduled visits to Baton Rouge and Washington D.C., we have made our voices heard to influential government officials at all levels. Please consider joining a committee and attending one of our governmental site visits. We need your input to increase our already amplified voice.
Educating and ongoing professional development remain a high priority to ensure that our workforce is equipped to supply ever-demanding job growth. In collaboration with JEDCO, our Prosper Jefferson seminar series offers an environment for professionals to grow together, focusing on topics such as public speaking, leadership, and company culture. We also host government leaders to discuss the current developments and changes in our area and the impact on business leaders at our events, such as the Legislative Breakfast and State of Jefferson. To prepare for the future, we influence our developing workforce by supporting children and education initiatives at all levels through state and local government advocacy. We consistently advocate for higher standards, accountability, and greater funding in the classrooms in order to improve academics and technology.
Connecting people ensures growth in businesses, and no organization does that better than the Jefferson Chamber! Monthly networking events provide an accessible way to increase your business network. Our signature events, such as the Crawfish Boil, increased capacity to over 650 business representatives from across our community. And the Black & Gold Gala, held at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, boasted an attendance of more than 1,000 civic and community leaders.
Thank you for your continued support of the Jefferson Chamber. We work tirelessly each day to make Jefferson Parish the best place to do business. Your investment in our award-winning Chamber makes our mission of Improving Business – Improving Lives possible.
We look forward to our continued partnership with our investors and the community in 2020!
Todd P. Murphy
Jefferson Chamber President
Beth E. Walker
2020 Jefferson Chamber Board Chairman
