Community Voices … with Jane Howard: Chamber sets goals for productive 2024

There is much to do and lots of work ahead of us

By Jane Howard

Jane Howard

Happy New Year from the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce! I appreciate this opportunity to update Gilroy Life readers on some new initiatives the chamber is undertaking this year.

As I was gathering my thoughts to write this, I was reminded of our mission: to make Gilroy the best place to live, work and play. Those words, in my opinion, need to be backed up with the 2023 Merriam Webster Dictionary word of the year: “authentic.” The chamber in close collaboration with our partners — city of Gilroy, Gilroy Economic Development Corporation, Visit Gilroy, Gilroy Downtown Business Association, Gilroy Gardens and others — strive to consistently fulfill this mission.

Serving as the foundation of the organization, the chamber board of directors has adopted a set of guiding principles in four categories: Development Review & Regional Infrastructure; Health Care; Tax, Budget & Regulatory Issues; and Workforce Education.

All these principles are reviewed and discussed by the board during their annual strategic planning session. In addition, board members are planning to focus this year on issues such as the future vision and role of the chamber in the community, membership retention and recruitment strategies, outreach to new business categories and staff development and goals. The chamber has a responsibility to all our members to adopt measurable goals and implement strategies providing our members with the support and advocacy they need to help create a business-friendly culture in this community.

In addition, serving in the role of promoting economic development in the community, the chamber  is committed to moving forward in 2024 with a five-pronged approach to implement the recommendations from the recently conducted retail market analysis by The Retail Coach Company. The funding for this 2024 campaign was provided by the Gilroy Economic Development Corporation.

The recommendations from this study include: creating a unified, collaborative effort for retail economic development; identifying potential retails sites for desired tenants and ensure planning, zoning, and stakeholder buy-in are aligned with the plan for retail attraction; recruiting retailers, restaurants, hotels that have been identified as a potential fit for the Gilroy market; engaging with property owners and businesses in downtown Gilroy to assist with improved programming and marketing of the downtown district and continue planning for the area surrounding the soon-to-be built Sharks Ice Facility. There is much to do and lots of work ahead of us and together with our partners, we are developing a plan for implementation of these recommendations.

Circling back to the word of the year “authentic,” the chamber  is committed to demonstrating authenticity with all the programs, events and work we do for our members and the community. A thriving economy contributes to a healthy community to live, work and play. Our staff and I will lead the way with our partners to make Gilroy the shining example of a vibrant community for all.

Jane Howard is the chamber’s interim president/CEO.