by Ryleah Cross, CRPC | 2022 Grimes Chamber Board Chair & Edward Jones Financial Advisor
November 2022 Newsletter Article
As I start to close the chapter on 2022, I have been reflecting on the amazing things we have accomplished as a chamber this year. As of this article we have held twenty ribbon cuttings! That means that through the month of October we have welcomed twenty new businesses to our community that have made the choice to join our chamber. They have recognized that the benefits of chamber membership have a positive impact on their business. We have also welcomed countless other businesses who aren't new to the community, but are new to our chamber in 2022. In addition to ribbon cutting ceremonies, we have hosted two groundbreaking ceremonies for large municipal projects in Grimes. The Grimes Public Library and the Grimes Splash Pad are both going to bring new or improved opportunities to our community.
We are well underway into our annual Total Resource Campaign; an annual sales campaign that helps our organization fund the many events we host throughout the year, while also promoting our many members. The biggest public facing events we organize include Grimes Governors Days and the Grimes Holiday Celebration. Finally, we are on track to launch a new important initiative in 2023. Right now, a small group of dedicated individuals are working to finalize, the underpinnings of what will be known as the Grimes Leadership Academy. Watch for more information about this opportunity in the coming months.
The list of successes doesn’t mean that we didn't have any hard times this year. Our chamber, along with everyone else, has experienced pains with higher priced goods and services. We moved the Governors Days celebration to the Grimes South Sports Complex, after many years at Grimes Waterworks Park. While we felt like the weekend was a success overall, there are parts we know we can improve upon for next year. We heard from many of our members the difficulty they are having hiring and retaining employees, which is something we intend to continue to address in the coming year and beyond.
As we move full steam ahead into the next year, I am excited and hopeful for the opportunities that lie ahead. We have tremendous momentum and lots of things to accomplish. I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to serve as Board Chair this year. I have met many amazing people and learned more about businesses within our membership. I have had the pleasure of working with Brian, Halsey, and Madison (staff at Grimes Chamber & Economic Development) as they do the leg work of making the events run smoothly and keep everything afloat on the back end. I'm thankful that my husband and I made the decision to move to Grimes, because I believe we are in the most amazing city in the metro area. I wish you all a healthy and happy holiday season! #lovegrimes
(Ryleah Cross, an Edward Jones Financial Advisor, is the 2022 Board Chair for Grimes Chamber & Economic Development, where she is a longstanding and well-respected Member.)