It has already been a busy year as the Durango Chamber of Commerce settles into our stunning new building at 2301 Main Ave., across from Durango High School. The chamber is headed “Back to the Future,” as Brookside Park was home to the “A-frame” which housed the chamber from the 1960s to 1985.
The chamber has a lot to celebrate as we organize and arrange our décor. A special thank you to all those who contributed to our capital campaign and/or items for our building. Your generosity is forever preserved on our Recognition Wall in the board room.
We will continue our mission to serve our members and the community. We invite you to stop by to check out our resources to help your business grow, pick up a brochure or magazine, relocation information and other pertinent materials.
In addition to the building, on Jan. 17, our community came together to celebrate a variety of individuals and businesses at the annual Durango Rocks awards event. More than 360 people attended as we honored the finalists recognized by their peers and community members.
Every year, I am so moved by the common thread weaving its way through each of the nominees. Whether you call it “paying it forward,” “contributing,” “donating” or “giving,” all the finalists go above and beyond in a selfless manner. We heard about the incredible generosity of the nominees. From helping fund or mentor other organizations, to feeding our furry friends at the Humane Society, to assisting veterans, to the entrepreneurial spirit, Durango is truly unique when it comes to our giving capacity. You can see all the recipients at www.durangobusiness.org. We invite you to send us nominations throughout the year so we can honor others in the community so deserving of the recognition.
And if all this wasn’t enough, every year our Business After Hours is the unofficial kickoff to Snowdown. From the costume contest to networking, Durango brings out its best and creative talents as attendees discuss plans for the upcoming winter celebration.
Through surveys and feedback, the chamber tailors many programs to help businesses, from our weekly Business Facts e-blast to 1,500 subscribers to our monthly programs: Coffee at Carvers, Lunch and Learns, Business After Hours (yes, we have a two-year waiting list to host) to quarterly Eggs and Issues to our upcoming Tech Conference March 14, we are here to listen and help find answers to your questions.
As a new contributor to The Durango Herald, the chamber looks forward to sharing ideas, promoting our 800-plus members, and ultimately connecting consumers to business and business to business, all in the interest of growing our local economy.
Jack Llewellyn is executive director of the Durango Chamber of Commerce. Contact him at jack@durangobusiness.org.
