Mary Yaw shares her ministry, Titus II. Titus II is a Christ-Centered home to help women in need, it was established in 2008 to train and equip women to live a Christ-centered life. Titus II offers a safe and confidential place for women to go and allow the Lord to love on them and to them so they can go back and face their world.

      ​Pitch Your Plan phase 2 is here! The Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission launched a brand new business competition called Pitch Your Plan in January of 2019. The first phase included filling out an online application with six simple questions. The Pitch Your Plan steering committee chose ten applicants to advance to phase 2. The top 10 semifinalists will participate in a boot camp and receive resources and tools that will help them develop their business plan. The business plans will be reviewed by a panel of judges, who will choose the top three to advance to phase 3.
     Phase 3 will consist of the top three delivering a shark-tank style presentation to the judges. This event will be open to the public, held at the Andria Theatre on May 2nd from 6 to 7 pm. The winner will then be announced on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 at a luncheon held at the BoatHouse at the Legacy of the Lakes Museum.
     To learn more visit www.livingalexarea.org/pitchyourplan or follow us on Instagram and Facebook at pitchyourplanmn. 

Sue Lundeen,  Manager of Member Services, shares some information on Runestone Electric Association. Runestone Electric Association is a member-owned electric cooperative providing reliable electric service to nearly 14,000 service accounts in West Central Minnesota.  Their mission is to serve their members with safe, reliable, affordable electricity and related services. 

By Greg Bowen, 2019 President, Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber Board of Directors

    The Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce has strived to support our thriving community for an amazing 112 years. This commitment has in no small part helped shape and develop the opportunities and advantages Alexandria sees today.  
    The incredibly apt theme for 2018 was “Committed to Excellence.” The Chamber staff, board of directors, and the many committee members embraced and strove to continually uphold this theme throughout the year. Processes, procedures and strategies were tweaked and improved, and more than 600 Chamber members benefited from this commitment. We worked hard, and succeeded in deepening our levels of cooperation with local entities and organizations...YES WE DID!!  We are seeing results from these efforts, and the commitment to this GREAT theme will continue into the future.
    The theme chosen to guide the Chamber of Commerce in 2019 is ‘Neighbors Helping Neighbors.’ This is a concept that resonates on many levels!
    It is about caring individuals lending a hand when needed, or providing a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen, or a heart to understand.
    It is about employers and business leaders setting good examples for their employees, for the students of our community, and for the customers that utilize their goods and services.
    It is about local businesses supporting one another and recognizing that a community thrives when all the diverse sectors are successful.
    It is about our community reaching out to other communities, and supporting them by sharing our successful strategies and programs, so that they may share with us their successes...that together we can work as a whole to better Minnesota.
    Collaboration is such an important missive, one that should always be at the forefront of our priorities.  There are so many people, committees and organizations that care and contribute, and do their best to see that Alexandria thrives.  We are lucky to have this incredible array of people that take the time to do the best they can for our City! ‘Neighbors Helping Neighbors’...I hope you all join in!