This article really caught my eye... Am I missing something or are the Nations Business Communities proving that they look at the
numbers and make their decision based on that and that alone...
An article, in yesterday's Tulsa World, stated that the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce had been named the
Nation's Best...They beat out Dallas and Honolulu...?
The format, according to the article, was based on member retention, new members, and a good overall game plan...
"Financial performance"...
Is this because of the money that is given to the Chamber by the City..?
If not, are they getting some sort of business incentive from companies that are begging to come to Tulsa...?
Can anyone name a
large Company that has been induced to move to Tulsa by the Chamber in the last year....?
If this article is considered valid.. Which I imagine it is since it was in the "World".. One would be of the opinion that the Tulsa Metro Chamber is an
Allstar Performing Group.. That is packing New Business into Tulsa at a phenomenal rate....
The Tulsa chamber qualified for the recognition when it scored above the national average in member retention and net gain in members in 2004. It became one of three finalists out of 16 that qualified for the award from an original field of 60 applicants.
The other finalists were the Great er Dallas Chamber and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.
"What this means is we're doing a lot of the right things," said Tulsa chamber president and chief executive Jay Clemens. "It's a significant compliment to our members, our leadership, our volunteers and our staff.
"It's a real honor."
The award process considers and measures financial performance, member programs, internal operations and organizational mission.
The chamber submitted several programs
for review, including its annual resource campaign and networking series, the establishment of the Tulsa's Young Professionals organization, progressive staff management policies, participation in the local United Way campaign and examples of membership communication.
Tom Maxwell, chief executive of Flintco Cos. and chairman of the chamber's board, said several factors pushed Tulsa to the top.
"We've got a committed and dedicated staff," Maxwell said.
The staff, he said, excels at engag ing volunteers and recruiting members.
"The membership drive just gets bigger and better every year; it's one of the best in the country."
But the longtime business and civic leader also thinks the Vision 2025 improvements package; the chamber's new economic development campaign, called Tulsa's Future; and the creation of Tulsa's Young Professionals put Tulsa on top.
Those developments "are a major step forward for the city," Maxwell said, and have integrated the com munity's goals with chamber objectives.
Clemens said the Tulsa chamber stands out among those in other cities because it bundles programs and services -- including health care, tourism, public infrastructure, governmental affairs, education resources and business and economic support -- under a sprawling chamber umbrella.
"We have the largest and most complex program in the country. . . . We're performing at a very high level," he said.
Although the chamber applied for the award once before, Clemens said he was surprised at grabbing the top prize this time. "We got into the finals, but that doesn't feel as good a being No. 1."
The recognition, though, won't change the chamber's focus, he said.
"We continue to be creative and do new things. . . . We'll still push ahead; we're still marketing Tulsa."
The real problem I have with the Chamber is that the "Hotel Tax" for the City of Tulsa is given to them to
attract business to Tulsa....Without speculating on what exactly that can be defined as; I would like to see the Economic Development Council, as discussed by the City Council this past year, put in place....
Enough already with the
dead weight...A little
light reading on the past performance of the Chamber and the expenditure of our City's Tax Dollars....!This from David Arnett of Tulsa Today... Written 6-22-98
http://tulsatoday.com/archive/hoteltax.htm
