Ah, summer...
Just this week, my husband and I observed a small group of young people, likely in the 12-15-year-old age range, walking along Mockingbird, just off McKinney Ave. They were talking and smiling, a little sweaty, a few were carrying their shirts. One kid was sharing a snack with the others while they walked, clearly enjoying the warm summer afternoon. “Ah, summer…” my husband commented, “…the good ‘ole days!” I smiled as I remembered how we, too, used to while away our summers in exactly that fashion, without a care for what lie ahead.
Fast-forward some 30-ish years and our summers are different. Almost over already. Back-to-school shopping has started, and I’ve had no less than 3 phone calls already about season tickets for football Friday nights.
While we still have a few more weekend road trips to take, cannonball jumps to practice, and lazy mornings ahead of us, I want to make sure you have plenty of notice on the opportunities you are about to have, to learn more about the Chamber’s mission and its investors. Education, advocacy, workforce development and retention of local business are our top priorities, and if you have not engaged with us lately, open your calendar now and save these dates:
July 23/ HR SMART- What every business needs to know about basic human resources compliance. People are the competitive advantage for most organizations--are you getting the best return on your investment? Join us as we welcome HR consultant and strategist Penny Miller, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CEBS to speak about the topic of human resources. Topics Include: workplace postings, personnel files, new hire reporting, wage and hour, payroll taxes, contingent workers, I-9s, safety, workers’ compensation, employee handbooks, Section 7 of the NLRA, ERISA.
August 2/ DISD New Employee Reception- Approximately 400 new employees are being hired for Denton ISD this year, many of whom are relocating to the area or are new to Denton and need information on: education resources and programs; entertainment for all age groups; caterers, restaurants, and grocers; health and medical resources; insurance, banking, and financial services. Local businesses are invited to showcase your services and earn the business of Denton’s newest educators and ISD support staff.
August 7/ WINC Power Hour Lunch- Join Denton’s Women in Commerce for a powe- hour lunch with networking and a guest speaker, Erica Pangburn, Denton Chamber of Commerce, addressing this year's theme: INSPIRATION!
September 10/ Denton Community Job Fair- The fair will feature a variety of basic, entry-level, student, seasonal, part-time employers, internship, major-related, and professional career positions. Featured partners include: DISD, United Way, Workforce Solutions of North Central Texas, City of Denton, North Central Texas College. Free to attend for job-seekers.
A clear understanding what Chambers exist to accomplish in their communities is something we consistently strive to communicate. Chamber missions vary, but they all tend to focus to some degree on five primary goals:
Building communities which attract residents, visitors, and investors (through public and private partnerships- the Economic Development arm of the Chamber plays a large role here)
Promoting those communities (This is most commonly the function of the Convention & Visitors Bureau arm of the Chamber)
Striving to ensure future prosperity via a pro-business climate (we want to make it EASY to do business in our community!)
Representing the unified voice of the employer community to local, state, and federal government (There’s POWER in numbers)
Providing accelerated access to resources and relationships (Networking!)
Most chambers are led by private-sector employers, self-funded, organized around boards/committees of volunteers, and independent. They share a common ambition for sustained prosperity of their community/region, built on thriving employers. Most are ardent proponents of the free market system, resisting attempts to overly burden private sector enterprise and investment. To read more, visit ACCE.org.
Registration info, sponsorship info and even more events and opportunities for engagement can be found online at denton-chamber.org. Networking lunches and mixers, Government Relations meetings and business support programs are ongoing; and we are always ready to partner with local business to listen to your ideas, as well as your concerns. As always, I welcome your questions and thank you for the role each one of you plays in making Denton the best place to do business in North Texas.
-Erica Pangburn, President, Denton Chamber of Commerce / email: erica@denton-chamber.org