Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce is starting a new ambassadors program to help out at events and greet new businesses.
The group’s chairwomen are Kitsey Trewin and Jacquelyn Coulter. Other members include Sally Pelham, who was a member of the Sweet Home Ambassadors; Rachel Graham; Lita Dyson; Billie Weber; and Miriam Swanson.
The Ambassadors “are going to meet and greet new businesses when they come to town,” chamber Executive Director Carla Claasen said. The group also will be present at special events for chamber members.
Any chamber member is eligible to have them come by and tour their businesses, part of a sort of open house, Claasen said. “It’s a way for businesses to get to know each other.”
The chamber will put together two of the open houses each month, 9 a.m. on the first and third Monday of the month, Claasen said. “It’s important to help business members communicate with one another and builds relationships among the businesses,” opening communication lines with community information.
People may not know what services or products are available at neighboring businesses, Claasen said. “The biggest thing is it helps connect people, and when people are connected, it gets more vibrant.”
People have ideas about how to deal with empty storefronts downtown, Claasen said, noting that this kind of thing helps get those ideas moving.
“As this group gets organized and established, they’ll be at all our ‘Chamber Welcomes…’ programs, which will be sponsored by CenturyTel,” Claasen said. The chamber is planning four of these programs at this point and possibly more before the end of the year. Among them will be the “Chamber Welcomes… The Jamboree,” for example.
The Ambassadors will be at these events to help greet visitors and get things started, Claasen said. They’ll be the first ones at the events.
The Ambassadors will meet on the first Monday of the month, Claasen said. Their first meeting will be at 8 a.m. on May 1. The location is not set yet, but the location will rotate among local restaurants each month.
Those who want to get involved or seeking further information can call the chamber at 367-6186, Coulter at 367-6889 or Trewin at 367-6364.
If businesses would like to schedule an event, they may contact the chamber or the Ambassadors.
In other chamber business, Claasen is looking for information from anyone who is planning Sportsman’s Holiday related events. She wants to put that information in the Sportsman’s Holiday schedule.
She also is looking for ideas about adding events and activities.
“We want Sportsman’s Holiday to be huge,” Claasen said. The chamber also is seeking a corporate sponsor for Sportsman’s Holiday.