Loading...2006 Membership Campaign Tenth in a Row to Hit Goal
Thanks to a strong message and what is clearly the finest group of volunteers anywhere in America, the Team Georgia Chamber '06 statewide membership campaign capped off a decade of annual victories by once again hitting and exceeding its goal.
The drive, which finished by setting a new Georgia Chamber record for dollars raised, kicked off last summer with more than 500 volunteers on board. Over the ensuing 21 weeks, they took the Georgia Chamber story into every part of the state, generating interest, new members and dollars. When the dust settled - and the final numbers were tallied - it had lived up to its name as the "Campaign of the Decade," by raising $1.7 million and boosting overall membership beyond the 4,000 mark.
Though he is rarely speechless, Campaign Chairman and Incoming 2007 Georgia Chamber Chair, Dr. David Allen, Founder & President, Allen and Associates, Consultants to the Healthcare Industry, Stone Mountain, admitted that he had to search for just the right words to use in praising the volunteers. "We ask some of the busiest and brightest men and women in the state to take on an additional job of helping us have a successful campaign each year and they never let us down. The fantastic job they do is a testament to their great love for this state and their desire to see it continue to grow and prosper," Dr. Allen said.
Echoing his words was J. Paul Holmes, 2006 Chair of the Georgia Chamber and Vice Chairman of the Board, Life of the South Insurance Co., in Monticello. "Our volunteers are the key to our success. The commitment they make and the results they get is nothing short of amazing. And, it is very gratifying to those of us who are honored to lead this organization," Holmes added.
Both men had good reason to laud the volunteers. In the space of a few months, they took a campaign with a zero balance into the stratosphere. Organized into 38 corporate teams, each with a separate goal, the volunteers received training from the membership department staff at the Georgia Chamber, then wasted little time making calls and racking up sales. Most would tell you that membership in the Georgia Chamber is not hard to sell, but it still needs to be explained. Once business owners and managers understand what the Georgia Chamber does - and how successful it has been in recent years - many are eager to join. For them, the money they save as a result of a new law passed or an old regulation repealed, more than pays the modest annual membership fee.
Because of the success of the Team Georgia Chamber '06 membership campaign, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce will begin 2007 in its strongest position ever. And, a strong start is essential, since a brand new state legislature is set to convene under the Gold Dome during the second week in January. Thanks to input from members over the past few months, the state chamber has its pro-business legislative agenda ready and will be prepared to lobby for laws that will make Georgia's business climate even better. Most of all, a healthy business environment means more jobs, additional sources of tax revenue, new funding for schools and a permanent "open for business" sign that will encourage companies in other states to locate in Georgia.
Because some sales are continuing to come into the campaign, a full review, including a salute to the top teams and leading producers, will appear in this space in January.
