5 Key Benefits of Chamber Membership

#4 – Advocacy

By Tara Bitzan, Executive Director, Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce

While it is important to speak out on behalf of the best interests of yourself, your family, your business or organization, neighborhood, community, and so on, often we are left wondering if we are even being heard or making a difference. Sometimes it is easier to have impact if your voice is louder, and one way to make it louder is to join with other voices.

The Alexandria Chamber serves as a collective voice for its 655 local members to influence government on issues impacting our Greater Minnesota community. Our Chamber is actively involved in the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Federation in representing our community on any, and all legislative issues.

We are also part of the Grow Minnesota program, in which a team of community leaders and Chamber staff members meeting with leaders of local businesses of all sizes and sectors to have conversations about the challenges and successes of doing business in Alexandria, Douglas County, and Minnesota. Information from those discussions is compiled and shared with the Minnesota Chamber for use in identifying trends and creating legislative platforms on issues that impact businesses around the state. We need to clearly communicate with our elected officials about what our community needs to not only survive, but to thrive.

The Chamber is an engaged voice speaking out for the best interest of our members and our community year-round.