Letter From The President, August 4th
Greetings from the Monroe Chamber of Commerce!
Thank you for your membership and support. Last week was an amazing week. It was a week of celebrations and information sharing. It was a week we worked very hard to create an environment where your businesses thrive. On Monday, our good friend Congresswoman Julia Letlow joined us for a packed luncheon where she and Aimee Kane had a wonderful fireside chat. That event was followed by our friends at Hunt Guillot’s Monroe office ribbon cutting. Tuesday started with the 5th session of our Summer Workshop Series featuring the amazing Anna K. Robertson and Team Willstaff. These sessions have been organized by Ashley Dowling, our Membership Director, who surveyed all our members and built this program from YOUR responses. We immediately headed to IBM for their 10th anniversary celebration. Tuesday evening, Rob Cleveland (Grow Nela) joined Mike and me at the Monroe Chamber Happy Hour. There are so many great things happening in Northeast Louisiana, and Grow Nela is mapping our future. Wednesday, your Chamber, the awesome Kelsea McCrary from the City of Monroe, Joe Holyfield, VC, and Community Champion Sue Nicholson (all representing BRIP), and the amazing Brookley Barnes met with a group from Ochsner’s. A great team led by Mark Randolph, Ochsner’s, is invested deeply in Monroe and Northeast Louisiana. From there, we headed to have lunch with the Speaker of the House of Representatives (The Honorable Mike Johnson). Speaker Johnson is a true leader. He has the toughest job in America and does it with honor and dignity. Thursday, our friends at the Ouachita Parish Fire Department had two push-in ceremonies for their new fire trucks. Chief Bobby Moore brought back this time-honored tradition. Thursday night, we celebrated 75 Young Professionals at our annual Top 20 Under 40 Awards Reception. I promise you, our future is bright with these leaders. It was fantastic. Friday, we wrapped up the week with a high-powered, energetic Ribbon Cutting at Renew Chiropractic & Wellness Center.
A shout out to all of the Chamber Staff, especially Daphne Garrett, who pulled off 3 major events in one week. I am especially proud of the Speakers' Lunch. We had been in contact with his office for months, and they told us that, because of his schedule, we would only get 3 to 5 days to pull it together if and when he could come. For those who were there, I think we will all agree it was an amazing event. This is your Monroe Chamber in action.
Two things I want to address.
First, there were some false narratives surrounding the Speaker’s visit. Like all of our luncheons, this event aligned with our strategic plan. Your Chamber has consistently hosted luncheons featuring individuals who influence the business climate in our region, and we will continue to do so. We are a member-based organization that works on behalf of our members.
As both a 501(c)(6) and a 501(c)(3), we do not endorse political candidates or parties. What we do is provide opportunities—first to our members, then to the public—to engage directly with elected officials. That is part of our mission, and we will uphold it. Secondly, in the midst of last week’s challenges, we missed an opportunity to support one of our valued partners. That misstep caused them inconvenience and embarrassment, and for that, we are deeply sorry. We have since reached out to offer our personal apology and are committed to making it right.
We value our partners and the spirit of collaboration we’ve worked so hard to build. Our goal is, and always has been, unity and forward momentum for this community. We regret any action that may have undermined that shared mission.
To our members: thank you. Your support allows us to keep moving forward. We are a light shining on a hill—and frankly, the rest of the world needs sunglasses when they look our way.
All the best,
Roy
