This week has been one for the record books. I would be remiss if the Chamber did not thank everyone in the town for pulling together to keep us as safe as possible from the flood waters. The Sheriff’s Office, the Town Council, the County Commissioners, and all the staff in the Town and County, we say ‘Thank You.’ Even in trying times, we see the heart of the community, and the Chamber is thankful to be a part of that.
We still have a few reminders but remember, safety first!
Reconstruction Business Assessment
As you know the Chamber has been sending out surveys monitoring sales since April of this year, to better quantify the effects of the reconstruction project. We have another survey out right now for August and September. If you have not filled it out yet, please do so as quickly as possible. You can take the survey here.
We look forward to hearing from as many downtown businesses as possible.
2026 Business Happy Hour Lottery
The annual Business Happy Hour lottery is now open to all Chamber members throughout the month of October. These networking events will occur every month on the 4th Thursday of the month in 2026 and are co-hosted by a Chamber member business and the Chamber of Commerce. New businesses, businesses interested in showing off new products or services, or any that would like to gain more exposure are perfect candidates.
Businesses can host a Business Happy Hour on their own, partner with neighboring businesses, or collaborate with a business that may not have a store-front presence or a non-profit agency that does not have much office space. Hosting businesses provide light appetizers or other food, and the Chamber provides the beverages.
You can plan fun activities, provide discounts or giveaways, and make it a fun evening for the attendees. With the business happy hours new date of Thursday evenings, it can be a fantastic way to kick off the weekend by attending a Happy Hour, finding out more about the host business, and networking with other business owners.
The process to enter your business into the lottery is simple. Choose the top 3 months that you would like to host a Business Happy Hour, contact Anna Snow, our membership coordinator at info@pagosachamber.com with your interest by Friday, October 31 with your preferred months. The lottery drawing will take place the following Monday November 3, and businesses will then be notified. Hosting businesses will get exposure through marketing of the event, an opportunity to highlight their business and products and potentially expose their business to new customers.
It is our 50th Anniversary next year, so we are looking forward to partnering with our businesses for a year full of fun! For questions or more information about hosting a Business Happy Hour, contact the Chamber at (970) 264-2360.
Self-Nomination Period for Board of Director Candidates
It is that time of year for the Chamber Board to have a changing of the guard for their board of directors. Changing out board members and term limits is healthy for an organization. It allows the organization to have experience while welcoming innovative ideas and personalities onto the board. The Chamber of Commerce every year elects three new board members while three members rotate off the board after a three-year term.
The Chamber strives to have on its board a diverse group of business representatives since the organization has such a wide range of business types. To self-nominate to run for the board of directors, the nominee must qualify for the following criteria. First the business must be a chamber member business for a minimum of six months. If elected to the board, the term for the directors is three years. Attendance at monthly meetings is required, and occasionally special sub-committee meetings. Volunteering at Chamber events and Business After Hours is also required. A slate of six candidates is compiled and put before the Chamber membership for a vote. Of the six candidates, three are elected to serve for a three-year term.
As many issues face our businesses and community, we are looking for business representatives to help us work on these issues and continue to assist our businesses with advocacy, education, and support. If you are interested in running for the board of directors, you can view the nomination form on the Chamber’s website at www.pagosachamber.com under Community and Chamber News. Fill out the form and return it to Sandy Douthey at the Chamber by November 7, 2025.
Should you like to learn more about being on the board, you can contact Sandy at the Chamber at (970) 264-2360 or director@pagosachamber.com or reach out to any of our current board members. A list of those members can also be found on the Chamber’s website. We look forward to reviewing the self-nomination forms and we thank those in advance for their interest and dedication to commit your time and energy.