This year, it’s an honor of mine to serve as the 2025 Board Chair for the Colorado Chamber Alliance. The Colorado Chamber Alliance is a program within the Colorado Chamber that serves as a resource for local Chambers of Commerce. The Alliance provides a vital connection between Chambers across the state but also to the resources of the Colorado Chamber. Each time, I meet with Chamber leaders from across the state, I am reminded of the broad diversity of communities across this state and hence the broad diversity of Chambers that represent them. Local Chambers often take on unique roles that are specific to their community, but at their core, there is the belief that working together is better than going it alone.
As we enter 2025, the Longmont Chamber has a great line up of events, programs and meetings scheduled; A line up that we believe is specific to Longmont business needs. I’m excited about the new 26 class participants in Leadership Longmont getting ready for their first class on January 9. For Jubilee 2025, we are adding two new awards the “Solopreneur Award” and the “Longmont Employee of the Year Award” – a chance for employers to nominate an exceptional employee.
2025 will also see the introduction of a new industry specific networking group for home services. Our events and programs are designed to bring members and the community together and there are many reasons for that, but one reason is to enable the Chamber to speak with one and a louder voice on business concerns.
Our Policy Committee members know that we concentrate a lot on the cumulative impact of business costs and regulations. Ballot questions and legislative bills often have good intentions behind them, and their impact may be a lot or a little, but even if it is not much, we need to remember to add it to the large amount of new regulation we’ve seen in Colorado in the past few years. Then we need to add increasing pressures a business faces outside of regulation such as inflation, inventory stress, labor shortages and the list goes on.
The 2025 Colorado Legislative Session begins on January 8, the Chamber’s Policy Committee chaired by James Arnold of Cushman & Wakefield this year will continue to track, follow and work with our state legislators reminding them of this cumulative impact. We will also continue to work with the City of Longmont on the minimum wage question. We are pleased to see no wage increase for 2025. For 2026, it will be important for you to communicate your thoughts or concerns to the City along with other Chamber members. There are a couple ways to do this including upcoming “fishbowl” sessions being scheduled for later in the Spring.
When you network and add your voice to the broader Chamber voice, your input is magnified. This is the main reason, the Longmont Chamber has become more deeply involved with the Colorado Chamber Alliance, the Colorado Competitive Council (C3) at the Denver Chamber and our own regional alliance the Northwest Chamber Alliance for Boulder and Broomfield County Chambers. Each of these connections amplifies your voice.
In 2025, I wish you success and a continued invitation to participate and support your Longmont Chamber. It’s much better than going alone.
Scott Cook
CEO, Longmont Chamber
