What Was and What Will Be
(Originally Published December 2009)
2009 is in the books, ladies and gentlemen. Now, we look at 2010. The year we make contact. At least, that’s what the movie told us. Maybe 2010 will be the year to keep in contact. I’ve often written about how to best utilize your chamber memberships, so here’s a suggestion for your New Year’s Resolution.
Make new connections. Now, I don’t mean just meeting new people. How about connecting two people you know? Relationships are about synergies. Become an identifier of synergies. Connect friend A to friend B. Become a business matchmaker. The unexpected results may well be new friendships.
Now, on to chamber business. What a year! Our little chamber grew by leaps and bounds. We had our most successful Golf Tournament to date. We introduced two new very successful events to the city: The Dania Beach Blast and Shades of Green. Our Leads for Lunch proved itself as a successful, viable program and we added Leads for Breakfast. We also launched the first of our quarterly Lunch & Learn series and partnered with Jai Alai for a great business expo. Did I mention our HannuChristmaKwanzaka Party? That was great, too.
Pardon the cliché but… You ain’t seen nothing yet!
2010 Will see all of the above and more. Look for our Insight Dania Beach program, the second Beach Blast, and new networking opportunities. In addition to our regular Business After Hours, we will host additional After Hours events in an effort to showcase more of our member businesses and to provide greater opportunities for our members to connect and grow their businesses. The chamber’s relationship with the city continues to thrive and our members and the residents of Dania Beach will continue to reap the benefits.
Finally, I would like to take a moment to thank the many people who made our success possible. In many ways, the job of the Chairman of the Board is the easiest job in a chamber. I give the occasional speech, write the occasional column, and get pats on the back when things go as beautifully as they have for the Greater Dania Beach Chamber of Commerce in 2009.
Of course, when things go wrong, the weight of the failure falls on the chairman’s shoulders. I have never experienced that awful feeling and there are several exceptional people who deserve the credit for this. They are:
Theresa Garcia, Chairman Elect
Ron Dooley, Past Chairman
Tim Pellot, Secretary
Ruth White, Treasurer
Rose Lizana, Board Member
Scott Singer, Board Member
Pat Chukerman, Board Member
Fred Nash, Board Member
And our office staff:
Joanne Morrow, Events and Membership
Victoria Payne, Executive Director
And so, in closing out the year that was 2009, I leave you with a quote from Bill Vaughan: “An optimist stays up to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old one leaves.”
God bless you. See you next year.
Adolfo Jimenez
Sponsored by HoneyBee Party Rental 954-989-8783
and TNT Exterminating 305-632-0222
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Decision Time
(Originally Published December 04, 2009)
"If nominated, I will run... for the border. If elected, I will fight...extradition." - Colin Powell
On behalf of the Greater Dania Beach Chamber of Commerce, I would like to begin by congratulating Commissioner Albert Jones, who was appointed to the Broward County Commission by Governor Crist.
During my tenure as your chairman, it has been the policy of this organization to refrain from endorsing candidates. Much was made of the fact that during last year's election in Dania Beach, many of our board members expressed their support for certain candidates. Those of us who did so were acting as independent citizens.
Last year, I publicly stated that while the chamber will not endorse a candidate, there was no reason for us to not do so as individuals. In fact, I encourage my board members to be active in political affairs if it is something they are inclined to do.
Mr. Jones' appointment has created a vacancy on our city commission. Our charter states that the city must hold an election. Several qualified individuals have thrown their hats into the ring or have indicated an interest in doing so.
The chamber's board is diverse and I would expect that we would have different opinions on whom we would like to see fill the vacancy. I have not discussed this with them and do not intend to. I will not speak on behalf of the board except to say that our mission will remain the same. We will continue to support the commission and the City of Dania Beach as we always have.
America is great because she has always been a representative republic where the voice of the people is heard. When we put aside our cynicism we accomplish great things. Forget what the newspapers tell you. Democracy happens here, where we live, not in Tallahassee and certainly not in Washington. Whomever you choose to support, do so proudly. Be involved. Remember that voting is your chance to quietly and privately make a difference.
And don't even think of voting for me. I'm with General Powell on this one.
Until we meet again,
Adolfo Jimenez
Chairman of the Board
Greater Dania Beach Chamber of Commerce
(Originally Published December 04, 2009)
"If nominated, I will run... for the border. If elected, I will fight...extradition." - Colin Powell
On behalf of the Greater Dania Beach Chamber of Commerce, I would like to begin by congratulating Commissioner Albert Jones, who was appointed to the Broward County Commission by Governor Crist.
During my tenure as your chairman, it has been the policy of this organization to refrain from endorsing candidates. Much was made of the fact that during last year's election in Dania Beach, many of our board members expressed their support for certain candidates. Those of us who did so were acting as independent citizens.
Last year, I publicly stated that while the chamber will not endorse a candidate, there was no reason for us to not do so as individuals. In fact, I encourage my board members to be active in political affairs if it is something they are inclined to do.
Mr. Jones' appointment has created a vacancy on our city commission. Our charter states that the city must hold an election. Several qualified individuals have thrown their hats into the ring or have indicated an interest in doing so.
The chamber's board is diverse and I would expect that we would have different opinions on whom we would like to see fill the vacancy. I have not discussed this with them and do not intend to. I will not speak on behalf of the board except to say that our mission will remain the same. We will continue to support the commission and the City of Dania Beach as we always have.
America is great because she has always been a representative republic where the voice of the people is heard. When we put aside our cynicism we accomplish great things. Forget what the newspapers tell you. Democracy happens here, where we live, not in Tallahassee and certainly not in Washington. Whomever you choose to support, do so proudly. Be involved. Remember that voting is your chance to quietly and privately make a difference.
And don't even think of voting for me. I'm with General Powell on this one.
Until we meet again,
Adolfo Jimenez
Chairman of the Board
Greater Dania Beach Chamber of Commerce
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