New Year's Resolutions? I've never been very good at those.

Nevertheless, I have always been ready to charge into the next year of my life full steam ahead.  Looking forward to what's ahead is one of my favorite things to do!  When my head hits the pillow at night, anticipation is what allows me to sleep well.

My mother always said that to enjoy life, one must have these three things: Something to do, someone to love, and something to look forward to.  Check, check, check.  I most fervently hope you have those three things, too.


Thus, rather than making 2012 "resolutions" for The Chamber, I will share what we do, what we love, and what we are looking forward to. 

To do: Not to bore you or anything, but we really must live by our Mission.  We can't do magic here, but we can do our best to serve our members.  Let us not forget that we ARE a member based organization. Those dues paying businesses are the ones who understand that they need to have people doing what Lori and I do.  Are we looking out for the best interests of the Orrville area? You bet.  But that doesn't mean we can grant every wish.  Boy, if we had the power that some people think we have then indeed it would be something to behold!  Have you ever really noticed the four words in our logo?  There you have it!

To love: Visit our website, click on the membership tab, and read the list.  We love and appreciate the incredible number of businesses who support us, the vast array of products and services they offer, and the high quality of their work.  Secondly, well, if we didn't love Orrville and Wayne County there wouldn't be much point in being here.  You can bet that we boast about this place at every opportunity. Easy, yes? Then wrap it all up in applause for the solid, dedicated, innovative, forward thinking, sophisticated and nothing-short-of-brilliant people we have the privilege of working with day in and day out. That's why "progress meets tradition" here every day.

To look forward to:  As much as I enjoy talking about changes during my twelve years here, it's much better to have conversation about expectations.  Are there challenges?  Many.  But experience tells me that the aforementioned people will come together in typical Orrville style to develop unique solutions. And how can we ignore the reopening of two businesses that suffered fire damage last year, the exciting potential for rehabbed buildings on North Main Street, the completion of a variety of construction projects, and the inevitable expansion of several industries?  Talk about the tip of the iceberg in a frozen January world.  It looks to me like 2012 will see the Orrville area continue down what has been a very hot and promising path!

May the best of 2011 be the worst of 2012,
Jenni