Newsletter

Chairman's Message

Last month I had the opportunity to be the Session Chair for the Chamber's Leadership Redwood City/Belmont/San Carlos opening program. This is the 4th year I have been invited back and each year I meet another great group of people who are interested in and committed to our community.

This year I spent a little more time having the class introduce themselves and talk about what they hope to gain over the nine month program. Also they shared what they do, what they're involved in and how the group could perhaps benefit from their experiences. Let me tell you this class has enough combined experience to run a Fortune 500, energize a faltering economy, create a dynamic non-profit for either education or social services, or develop a public relations/marketing campaign for the next 'pet rock' craze.

Not only did their professional experience wow me but here is a snapshot of what some class members have done in their spare time. They have written and recorded music and sold the CD's worldwide, climbed Mount Rainer - twice, camped in the Amazon, met with a rather large brown bear, survived cancer, auto raced, jumped out of planes, jumped into ice cold water san clothes, participated in reality TV, met up with a flock of bats under a bridge and spent 5 hours hang gliding!

What I took away from this session as well as past sessions is how the Chamber's Leadership program builds community by building connections. It brings people together from the private and public sectors, from non-profits, and from education to learn about what is happening in Redwood City, Belmont and San Carlos as well as San Mateo County and the Bay Area at large. It is an opportunity for people to connect in a relaxed and enjoyable setting while gaining valuable information and networks. Every year when I have gone back to Chair this opening session I remember my leadership class and how it has helped me understand, appreciate and navigate through our community. My hope is that this new class will gain the same knowledge and respect and come next May feel their time had been well spent.