On behalf of the 2012 Board of Directors, I wish to thank all of our members for trusting us with the leadership of this cherished organization. We are honored by your support and committed to remain focused on our mission of nurturing the well-being and growth of Hispanic businesses in the First Coast. I also wish to thank departing Board members: Ed Perez (Immediate Past President), Carmen Brooks (Secretary), Angela Tharp (Treasurer), Jose Rodriguez (President Nominee), and Idania Lizano (Director, Achieving the Dream Committee) for their unselfish dedication and solid contributions to the success of our Chamber.

The great recession has begun loosening its grip on the U.S. economy. Economic growth, despite sputtering, has been steady for several quarters and the unemployment rate continues to decline, albeit slowly for too many people. Our local situation somewhat mirrors the national picture. Clearly, a more robust economy is required for the benefit of all.

Our country has always excelled at entrepreneurship and innovation; many of our members provide vivid examples of the unbound opportunities that exist. The majority of our members are small businesses and small businesses are the economic engine of our economy. We are also fortunate to have as members, large corporations that have played a pivotal role mentoring, nurturing, and supporting the growth of our Chamber and its smaller members. By continuing to work together, we can play an important role in creating wealth and opportunity.

The incoming Board of Directors looks forward to serving you by better understanding your needs and challenges. We plan to partner with government and public organizations to strengthen the services we provide to remain an integral part of your success.

Sincerely,

Medardo Monzón, President

Our members play an integral role in this organization. Enhance your experience and get involved.  

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Membership Committee:
The Membership committee met in late January at Bahamas Breeze to begin laying out the plans for 2012. Guillermo Ordenana, Kathy Scott State Farm, Andrea Rodriguez Winn Dixie, Marino Rodriguez, Rebecca Black, and Nelson Estepa all attended and we discussed the following: 

• Our monthly meetings will occur at 4:30 PM at the site of all the monthly networking mixers. This will allow membership team members to be available that evening at the mixer. We will also hold monthly conference calls two weeks after each mixer to debrief and address any issues.
• At our meeting, we designated initial assignments for the registration table and responsibilities for the monthly mixers were made.
• We're pleased that the following individuals will be active participants in our committee:
• Guillermo Ordenana has volunteered to be the membership team connection with Laura Zablah and the UNF Student Association allowing a connection with our committee and the UNF students.  
• Andrea Rodriguez has volunteered to explore a brochure/card program that sells benefits of the chamber.   
• Finally, we identified the need to clarify and understand our 2012 goals for growing our membership along with a system to track our success, training on our member database, and systems for membership workflows.

We look forward to making a difference and growing our chamber membership this year! 

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Achieving the Dream Scholarship Committee: