RotaryGram for March 23, 2022 (Mar 23, 2022)

Rotary Program Review

March 16, 2022

Bill Allen

President – Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce

By John Lee

Bill started his talk by giving us a Chamber update. He said that Chamber activities are mostly staffed by volunteers and supported by sponsors and that they needed both to be successful. He thanked those present who fell into either category. Bill said the industry is changing. No longer are members of industry expected to be members of their local Chambers. The Chamber has had to pivot. The focus has changed to an emphasis on community support, which in turn will help support local business. To support this new focus on the community, the Chamber has rolled out several programs, including Community Concierge, where selected Chamber members tour transferred employees around the area and show them the many amenities our community has to offer. These tours are targeted to the clients and their individual or family needs and interests. Another program is the Make My Move initiative, where remote workers can find out information on various cities and determine where they would like to live. The Chamber has put together a website to showcase our area for this initiative and has had several inquiries. Another new program is Beaumont Champions, a group formed to help show the good things about Beaumont and help tackle some of the negative perceptions. All these initiatives are community-focused to help drive the need for a qualified and educated workforce.

The Chamber was recently awarded its second 5-star rating (the highest awarded) and is heading for it’s third. The first Beaumont Business Academy will be held in April with 5 total classes scheduled for 2022, all to educate small business owners and managers on topics of interest to them. These topics were selected to match the areas where Chamber members said they needed the most assistance on a survey completed in 2021. This is another way the Chamber is responding to the needs of its members. The Chamber Foundation is conducting a Youth Leadership Academy with assistance from Neches Federal Credit Union, the Port of Beaumont, and ExxonMobil to develop young leaders for our future. The Chamber is looking for more turnover among Board members so that new and diverse ideas are brought to the table. Bill is proud of the fact that the Chamber was able to show an increase in membership even through the COVID-19 pandemic, a boast that few Chambers around the country can say.

Bill said that during his time as President the Chamber has worked closely with the City of Beaumont on disaster assistance, more times than he would have liked. The Economic Development arm of the Chamber has assisted in bringing a new call center to our area, a large new refinery project which will start soon, and the soon-to-open Hearsay Restaurant and Bar downtown. Bill said they are close to announcing a new medical facility, a new brewery, and other projects. Golden Triangle Days, which had to move to a virtual format due to COVID actually saw an increase in participation with the change. Bill announced that a partnership has been formed with the Lake Charles Chamber and that representatives of both Chambers will be traveling to Washington D.C. together this year to lobby for our combined areas. The Chamber is promoting “Salute to Workforce” month with a major event happening on March 28 at the Civic Center. Bill also said that the annual “State of the Workforce” luncheon scheduled for April 14 will feature speaker Mark Perna, who should not be missed. Leadership Beaumont, a Chamber-sponsored program, will celebrate its 50th anniversary on June 14.

Bill said he is looking forward to his new position in El Paso and the chance to be reunited with his family in Las Cruces, but he will always remember his time in Beaumont, the way he was so warmly welcomed and accepted as a member of our community, and will miss the many friends he has made during his time here as President of the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce and as a proud member of the Rotary Club of Beaumont.