Today we’d like to introduce you to Mindy Smith.
Hi Mindy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I recently moved into the role as the President of the I94 West Chamber of Commerce this past summer. The Chamber was something I was actively involved with for over the past 7 years. I served on several event planning committees and was a board member serving as the Vice Chair while in my previous position as a Licensed Assisted Living Administrator. Before taking this role, I worked in housing and senior health care for about 15 years. Working in the non-profit sector to help people has become my lifelong passion. I enjoy the challenge and ability to use my skills to help guide people through decisions and give back to the community. With the Chamber being a non-profit organization, I now have a platform to give back to Chamber Members and the 9 communities we serve. I’ve been allowed to expand my non-profit passion to help senior generations and work with businesses and owners of all ages. I plan to use my role to help support the community by connecting people and teaching younger generations to grow businesses locally. The I94 West Chamber explicitly gives back by volunteering opportunities to members, raising funds to support our first responders, veterans, firefighters, and police departments, and assisting students with real-life learning opportunities and scholarships.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I was fortunate to have been involved with the I94 West Chamber before moving into my role. I knew many of the business owners and board members and the functions and events the Chamber hosts. I’m also fortunate to have a great relationship with the past two prior chamber presidents, Dawn Sperr and Greg Anzelc. They both have been incredibly supportive and instrumental in pointing me in the right direction. That said, there will also be challenges in any role. Adapting and seeing how the seasons affect any business takes a year. Every organization experiences peaks and lows for financials and planning- add on planning several large functions a year, making it challenging with a smaller staff.
Thanks for sharing that. Please tell us more about your business.
The I94 West Chamber of Commerce and many local Chambers are great resources to support business communities and connect people. But people like to do business with others they know and trust. The fast-paced world of the internet has hurt engagement and relationship-building between businesses, but a Chamber is a great way to tie in and get connected professionally. I’m proud of the culture and inviting feeling our Chamber creates. We attract a lot of kind and open-minded people looking to grow, support others, and connect to the community. Our Chamber is a Regional Chamber- we have about 415+ members and serve 9 cities, including Maple Grove, Rogers, Otsego, Dayton, Osseo, St, Micheal, Albertville, Hanover, and Corcoran. Each town is increasing and attracting a lot of commercial business. We can also provide information for companies concerning city staff, ribbon cuttings and celebrations, and networking events. We always strive to create more value for our membership through education, connection, and advocacy. We also provide a marketing and advertising platform for members to post events, hot deals, and jobs and to promote other pertinent information to the Chamber Community.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
As we serve a region of cities, and I’ve worked in several of them, I love them all. Each town is seeing so much growth, but in general, the small-town feel remains in most of them – with many suburban perks popping up each year. I love the investment in green spaces, entertainment, and parks. Each city has unique features that complement the area and serve the region’s residents. There are excellent school districts and support for the local youth and programming. Dislikes might only be the ongoing challenges accompanying fast growth- such as work and infrastructure growth to support the growing populations. Many cities need more space in schools, recreational programming, road construction projects, utility installations, etc.
Pricing:
- Chamber membership is affordable
- $350/Annual starting membership
- Up to $5,000 membership options available
- Upgrades for Sponosrships and Marketing packages available
Contact Info:
- Website: I94westchamber.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/I94WestChamber
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/I94West
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/i-94-west-chamber-of-commerce/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/i94west
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMziwMuaEqOrl6qJWox3l0Q
Image Credits
Abby Carbajal
