Letter from the President
Richard Robinson
We would be hard-pressed to find a New Year in recent memory that has been so filled with a sense of hope and potential for opportunity than 2013. After surviving what most consider the most significant economic downturn since the Great Depression, we are starting to collectively see signs of daybreak after almost half a decade of nightfall.
It is with that sense of optimism for this year that I begin my tenure as your Roseville Chamber of Commerce President. It’s a responsibility that I am honored to have, and I look forward to working with each of you to make 2013 a year that exceeds our hopes and expectations.
While I am new to this role, my experience with the Roseville Chamber dates back 20 years to when I worked for Congressman John Doolittle – a strong supporter of the Chamber’s efforts to make Roseville the best place to do business.
Currently, I work as the Public Affairs Director for Kaiser Permanente – Roseville’s largest employer and long-time Chamber member. In that capacity, I have served on the Roseville Chamber Board of Directors for the past four years, including two years as the Vice President of Economic Development.
Periodically, I get asked why a business as large as Kaiser Permanente is so involved in a local chamber of commerce. Interestingly, Kaiser Permanente’s objective is much the same as the Roseville Chamber’s. Part of Kaiser’s mission is to improve the health of the communities it serves. This includes not only the physical health of those who call Roseville home, but the economic health of the businesses that have chosen to locate here as well.
It is that shared mission of economic health for Roseville that has compelled Kaiser Permanente to be a strong supporter of the Roseville Chamber of Commerce. Kaiser recognizes that there is a direct link between a healthy Roseville Chamber of Commerce and a healthy Roseville economy.
And so, as we begin 2013 and embark upon the promise of a new year, my challenge to you is to embody that mission for yourself as well. Specifically, how can each of us work together to collectively make the Roseville Chamber and thus the business climate in Roseville even stronger?
Thankfully, there are countless ways to get involved this year. For instance, you are encouraged to attend one of our government relations meetings and provide feedback on issues critical to your business, participate in this year’s business walk, or attend one of our luncheons, breakfasts, or mixers and promote the good work your own business is doing.
Finally, reach out to those who have yet to become Chamber members and encourage their participation. Not only will they be able to take advantage of all the Chamber has to offer, but they will allow the Chamber to do even more to strengthen our local business climate.
As the promise of 2013 becomes a reality, I encourage you to contact me with your thoughts, concerns and ideas. I am confident that by working together, we can realize every bit of the potential 2013 holds for us and our community.
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