The Directors and staff established the work plan for 2007 based on the strategies and goals identified in the Strategic Plan. The following is a list of the goals and a summary of the accomplishments of 2007:

• Expanded the newsletter from 4 pages to 8/10 pages
• Totally re-designed website
• Created Economic Snapshot
• Providing articles for Absolutely Business magazine

• 178 New members as of 12/1/07.The majority are in service industries (39%), restaurants (21%), and retail (13%). Targets: Construction/Trades make up (6%) of new members, Healthcare (4%), and tourism (8%).

• New advertising products were successfully introduced in ’07, including ad space in the Visitors Guide and 1/8, ¼, and ½ page ads in the newsletter. These products generated substantial new revenues and provided new opportunities for members

• DOT/Merchants group established
• Hotel/Motel Owners meetings established

• Very successful first year: Presented to Car-Freshner Corp

• Created new Economic Snapshot for all agencies and members to use to recruit new businesses
• Attended Gunderson’s Blueprint session at Clarkson and Mrs Spitzer’s I Live NY session at Cortland College

• Plans are proceeding with Fall ’08 or Spring ’09 as the projected completion date
• Op-Ed article of support published in June WDT
• Organized a number of meetings (legislators, JCC, Hotel/Motel owners, consultants) to discuss the project

• Procurement Assistance
  • Successfully applied for and were granted funds to establish a pilot procurement technical assistance program to help local businesses do business with Fort Drum and other government agencies
    • Part-time office will be set up at the Chamber
    • Application will be submitted in “08 for federal designation
• Job Placement
  • Partnered with Fort Drum employment services on the Job Fair in March.
  • Staff presented Job Fair information at Officer’s Spouses Club meeting and provided local brochures
• Communications
  • Organized working group for the Fort Drum Centennial Celebration. The committee continues to meet..
    • Created community outreach program to get organizations participating in celebration
    • Designed logo and rack card for the Centennial
    • Found funding for, and ordered Centennial lapel pins and decals for public distribution
  • Provided relocation information for Garrison Commander’s presentations around the country to inbound officers.
  • Staff presented information about Chamber programs at the Officer’s Spouses Club meetings, and the FRG newsletters

• Open Saturdays throughout the summer to accommodate the summer traffic.
• Distributed local brochures, providing directions and referrals on a daily basis.
• Updated and reformatted the Community Profile, distributed on request

• Applied for and were granted $10,000 from Assemblyman Aubertine to produce the Visitors Guide
• Redesigned, printed and distributed 60,000 Visitors Guide’s in “07
• Added “stylized map” of the county, sold ads (37)

• Candidate surveys printed in October newsletter.
• Attended NYS Days in Washington, and met with Senators Schumer and Clinton (her Chief of Staff), and Congressman McHugh and presented four agenda items: WHTI, Fort Drum Housing, PTAC, and the Watertown Arena. 
• Connected Senator Schumer’s staff with county for help with the Watertown Airport

• Bob Hagemann attended the November Board meeting to discuss the County budget.
• Submitted a response to the Dept of Homeland Security/Dept of State’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative this month.
• Sept: Article in the newsletter, including contact info for members to submit their comments.
• July: Sent out press release from Business Council regarding Workers Comp reform. Published in Times/
• June: Information on Washington Agenda and the Governor’s Commission on Consolidation featured in June newsletter.
• Information on WHTI and the Ft Drum Gap Analysis were included in the May newsletter
• Worker’s Comp article, Public Policy Agenda for 2007, and The State Report were all included in the April newsletter
• Feb: WHTI Article in March newsletter:

• Held the 2^nd successful Career Fair in January with nearly twice the number of students (1,000) and over 100 businesses
• Article in August newsletter addressing “insufficient brain gain” in NYS
• Created new Business-Educator Working Group to develop better communications between the
• businesses and the schools
  • The pilot program is between the Watertown High School and Watertown businesses

• June newsletter article on selling to the government.
• Article on results of Fort Drum “Gap Analysis” in April Newsletter

• Successful Job Fair in March, promoted to Fort Drum spouses, and promoted to businesses as a way to reach the Ft Drum workforce

• Attended CanAm Border Trade Alliance meeting in Ottawa is in May
• Chamber activities put on hold while waiting for new DOT Commissioner’s position on corridors, and while Bridge Authority hired personnel to fill Corridor Director slot

• Attended MDA Annual Meeting in April

• Attended NY Days in Washington, sponsored by the Chamber Alliance of NYS.

•  Hosted Council of Chambers luncheon in January – the first in a long time.
• Provided the agenda, discussed the benefits of meeting periodically. Volunteered to keep us organized
• Attended Henderson meeting in March, Sept meeting in Clayton

• Hired temp to assist with events while Events Director is on maternity leave
• Hired new bookkeeper to replace Carol Weaver who is retiring in January
• Advertising for Business Liaison position
• Established “quality assurance” teams with staff.

• Purchased Coffeen Street property on Dec 3!
• Contracted with GYMO for architectural drawings for remodeling the Chamber interior
• Met with contractors to begin to evaluate building infrastructure
• Expand financial resources
• Applied for and received $10,000 grant from Assemblyman Aubertine for visitor information publications for 2008
• Made minimal increases in dues, BAH fee for 2007 revenues
• Created new advertising revenue