Get involved! Being an active member of a Chamber task force or committee exposes you to many different areas of chamber operations, including marketing & public relations, education, legislative & governmental affairs, event planning, economic development efforts, and more – and it’s a great way to get to know your fellow Chamber members.

LAKEWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
STANDING TASK FORCE APPOINTMENTS*
JULY 1, 2021 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2022

Board of Directors:
Goals and Objectives: Execute the *Strategic Plan enhancing LCC’s strength in the business community and programs supporting the *Mission Statement.
Chair: Andrea Fisher, Board Chair
Executive Committee: Andrea Fisher (Board Chair),  (Vice Chair of Membership & Marketing Task Force), (Vice Chairman of Economic Development Task Force), (Vice Chair of Education Task Force),  Jenny Evans (Vice Chair of Legislative and Governmental Affairs Task Force), Mike DeStefano (Treasurer), Mike Daso (Immediate Past Chairman of the Board, non-voting except on tie vote) Ex-Officio: Patty Ryan (President & CEO)
Board of Directors meeting are on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7:30am, excluding the months of August & December. Location varies.

Finance:
Goals and Objectives: Provide guidance and fiscal oversight of the Chamber’s finances; develop Proposed Finance Budget for fiscal year and submit to Executive Committee at their May meeting.

Legislative and Governmental Affairs:
Goals and Objectives: Monitors local government issues and builds relationships with local government officials on behalf of the business community. The Legislative and Governmental Affairs Task Force meets on  the 2nd Wednesday bi-monthly odd months, at 8:30 am.

Education:
Goals and Objectives: Identify topics and develops programs to educate Chamber members through seminars, panel discussions, and workshops. The Education Task Force meets on the first Thursday of each month at 12noon.

Membership & Marketing:
Goals and Objectives: Develop and implement initiatives that will attract and retain members. The Membership & Marketing Task Force meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 8:30am.

Economic Development:
Goals and Objectives: Collaborates with local economic development organizations to facilitate and/or stimulate economic development in the City of Lakewood. The Economic Development Task Force meets on the 2nd Wednesday bi-monthly on even months, at 10am.

*Chairman of the Board and President & CEO are ex-officio members of all committees.
*References to the The Strategic Plan refers to that Plan approved by the Board of Directors on 6/8/15.
*References to the Mission Statement refers to the Mission Statement approved by the Board of Directors in the year 2000.

Task Force Appointments
Volunteers are a key ingredient for a healthy and growing Chamber of Commerce. It is the involvement of members that develop future leaders of the Chamber and the Community and accomplishes the goal and strategies necessary for a vitally fit organization. It is also important that our volunteer task force members have a positive experience while working within task forces and the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. The focus of task force work and achievements are as directed by the Goals and Objectives as set forth in the Strategic Plan as approved by the Board of Directors.

Attendance
All members should attend meetings regularly. However, it is important for members to call the Chair of their task force to let them know when they will not be able to attend. A member’s absence could be important for the work being conducted at that particular meeting and their absence may be detrimental to accomplishing a project or goal. If the Chair is unable to attend, an acting chair can be designated by the Chair from the approved Board of Directors’ appointees. The professional courtesy of a call prior to the absence is appreciated by all and important for the morale of other task force members.

Task Force Agendas
The Chair is responsible to guide and organize the work for each meeting and provide an Agenda to keep the meeting focused on the important aspects of the projects. An agenda can be as simple as the Topic for the Meeting for open forum discussions or as detailed as needed to accomplish many tasks within short time elements. Knowing the agenda prior to the meeting allows members to come prepared for the meeting. The Chair maintains the flow of the meeting and redirects conversations back to the tasks at hand. It is essential that the Chair maintain communication with the Board of Directors by providing a short, concise report of task force projects and progress. A report should be made available at each of the monthly Board of Directors’ meeting (generally, every second Thursday of each month). Where the Chair does not sit on the Board of Directors, then the report can be submitted to the President & CEO or the Chairman of the Board prior to the meeting. Reports should contain pertinent information such as meeting date and time, members in attendance at the meeting, and pertinent information applicable to the achievement of goals and objectives. Any issues that require the approval of the Board of Directors should be stated and a formal request prepared.

Meeting Reminders
The Chair is responsible to assure that meetings are continuous and the meeting time and date are set appropriately for the majority of the task force members. Helpful tip: email (or fax) is an easy way to keep all members (including absent members) informed of what transpired at the meeting and what actions are needed to be accomplished prior to the next meeting and when the next meeting will be, its location and time. No further reminder messages are necessary unless the meeting time, date or location changes.

Task Force Limitations
As stated in the LCC By-Laws: “No action by a member, task force, division, staff, or officer shall be binding on the Chamber until approved or ratified by the Board of Directors”.