TEAM REPORT
Member & Investor Relations
The Chamber is only as strong as its many members. They make up its foundation and are the driving force behind everything the organization does. It’s why the work of Patsy Guy and her team at Member & Investor Relations is so vital, as Guy explained.
What does the Member & Investor Relations team do and oversee? Being a membership-based organization, members are the lifeblood of the Chamber. Our department handles all aspects of membership from attracting and securing members to retaining them. We handle a majority of the “member” signature events each year: 24 Networking Meetings (12 60-Minute Coffees and 12 Business After Hours), the Chamber Golf Classic (more than 200 Golfers), The Annual Meeting (more than 600 in attendance), Ribbon Cuttings and Ground Breakings. Our department handles the annual Total Resource Campaign, which provides funding resources for the all of the Chamber’s programs and events, securing $9.5 million over the last 11 years. We also oversee the Chairman’s Circle, Imagine investors and TIPS Club.
How does the local business community benefit from what you and your team do? Our department connects the local business community to the Chamber. Our job is to educate the local business community about the number of benefits their membership affords them so they can be successful.
How does the general community in general benefit? JOBS and money. Everything the Chamber does is about job creation and job preservation. We work every day to make not only Montgomery but the River Region a better place to LIVE, WORK and PLAY.
What do you consider some of your and your team’s most significant recent achievements? Coordinating an annual successful Total Resource Campaign.
What is your favorite part of your job? Ribbon Cuttings! It is so exciting to talk with new business owners and to hear their “story,” their “vision” and their dreams for their new business venture.
ADD IT UP
Patsy Guy and her Member & Investor Relations team work hard to ensure every Montgomery-area business understands the value of Chamber membership.
“Our biggest challenge is getting the small business owner to see the importance of being a Chamber member and supporting our efforts,” said Guy. While she asserts that getting smaller businesses involved can be tougher, membership stats show that she and her team are getting that job done.
Breakdown of Membership
71% = 1-10 EMPLOYEES
20% = 11-50 EMPLOYEES
4% = 51-100 EMPLOYEES
5% = 100 + EMPLOYEES
