Welcome to December. As the season of gratitude and giving continues, we want to begin with a sincere thank you to our Members and our entire community. Your engagement and support allow us to continue moving Business Forward, and for that, we are truly grateful.
I also want to thank everyone who joined us for two meaningful events in November, our inaugural Seat at the Table and our Annual Economic Forecast. Both gave us the opportunity to highlight the strong relationships within our Chamber and to share timely, relevant information with our Members.
Seat at the Table is best described as an elevated and larger-scale version of our monthly Lunch with a Leader. As I was sharing Lunch with a Leader with fellow chamber peers, the conversation turned into a brainstorm about similar concepts which sparked an idea that was then brought to life by our incredible events team. The goal was simple: bring leaders together for honest conversation and real connection.
This first Seat at the Table brought together nine incredible community leaders representing education, public safety, local government, parks, libraries, and nonprofit leadership. Each leader hosted a table and shared insight and perspective in a small group setting that encouraged open, natural conversation. I am so grateful to our team for bringing this experience to life, and to every leader who invested their time and voice to make it such a success. And despite what everyone joked about afterward, I still believe I sat at the best table.
We also hosted our Annual Economic Forecast at the beautiful Hotel Arista. Our panel, moderated by Terry Savage, Nationally Syndicated Financial Columnist, included:
- Caroline Harris, Capitol Tax Partners LLP
- Curtis Dubay, Chief Economist, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- Jon Adams, Chief Investment Officer, Calamos Wealth Management
- Kurt Rankin, Senior Economist, The PNC Financial Services Group
We were grateful for such a strong panel and thankful to Caroline Harris for joining us virtually. Thanks to Novatoo Inc., our trusted AV and Tech Partner for this event and proud NACC Member, her remote experience was seamless.
It was a timely, thoughtful conversation that gave our Members real insight as they continue to make decisions for their businesses.
With so many moving parts in today’s economy, it can be difficult for businesses to predict what is ahead. Our panel helped break down what is happening across interest rates, GDP, inflation, and broader market trends, all with the goal of providing greater clarity as our Members plan for the year ahead. Panelists also discussed the wild ride of Bitcoin and the historic performance of gold this year, which sparked thoughtful conversation throughout the program.
While these two November events looked very different on the surface, they were both rooted in what matters most to us: bringing people together to learn and connect.
As we move into the final stretch of the year, our focus remains on supporting your business, creating opportunity, and helping you reach your goals. We invite you to stay connected, lean on our team, and continue moving forward with us.