CHAMBER SERVES THE GREATER SPRINGFIELD REGION MESSAGE FROM THE CEO

couple of weeks before the event. It was also the first opportunity Chairman Van Meter had to give a state of the county speech to any group.

Mike Murphy President and CEO

The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce held the first ever State of Greater Springfield Luncheon last month. We had a sellout crowd of four hundred packed into the banquet room of the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel in downtown Springfield. What made this event unique was the new format of having both Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher and Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter address the audience and give their respected speeches on the current state of the city and county. They also discussed what they hope the future might bring to the area. This was Mayor Buscher’s first state of the city speech, having just taken office a

I thought it was important to hear from both since we are The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce with members not only from the city of Springfield, but others from Sangamon County and beyond. It is also important to give the city and county government leaders as many opportunities as possible to discuss issues together and see if there is common ground to have a united front when addressing them. I do feel like these two leaders will have open communication and look for areas that it makes sense to combine efforts to bring services to the people of Springfield and Sangamon County.

Topics discussed during their speeches included rail relocation, homelessness, workforce development, beautification of the city, vibrancy of downtown Springfield, reopening the lake area beach house, and the future of Scheels Sports Complex. Following their speeches there was a Q & A session led by Tim Butler, a former State Representative

who currently serves as the President & CEO of the Illinois Railroad Association. During the Q & A, Mayor Buscher addressed her plans to study the current commercial rates charged by CWLP for electricity and making the lake an economic asset for the city. Chairman Van Meter discussed plans to work with the city regarding homelessness and the importance of groups working together rather than in silos.

A request was made at the end of the program to give the Chamber feedback on the new format, and we received eighty returned surveys. The overwhelming majority liked the new format. The Chamber plans to offer this again next year, and looks forward to collaborating with all elected officials as we advocate on behalf of all our members. The Chamber’s next advocacy event will be our Elected Officials event, Wednesday September 13, with Fehr Graham as the Presenting Sponsor. Go to www.gscc.org or watch future communications for more details on how to register.

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