Following up on my previous two columns which explored what a chamber of commerce is and the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce’s Education and Environmental Affairs councils, the chamber’s Government Review Council (GRC) is also significant in fulfilling our mission to provide quality service to our members and promote and develop a strong economic climate in Morgan Hill.
Perhaps the most significant change that I have seen in chamber of commerce organizations during the last 21 years has been their political process engagement. Whether forming Political Action Committees (PACS) to support candidates for public office or focusing on local, county, state and federal legislation, chamber of commerce organizations are much more engaged with issues and the people who shape them than ever before.
Why? Chamber of commerce organizations represent the interests of its members, specifically, and business, in general. A great deal of legislative actions by public officials has a direct impact on chamber members’ businesses and ultimately those employed by chamber members. The Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce is deeply interested in legislation, ballot measures and issues that impact our community and region, as well. Remember? One of the primary reasons chamber of commerce organizations were formed was to have the ability to “speak with a greater voice” to those who legislate laws, regulations and policies that impact their businesses and the people’s lives who work in those businesses. The old adage that more can be achieved collectively together than alone is what business persons in Marsai, France discovered in the 15th century and it continues to be true today.
The Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce takes great pains to carefully review issues that come before it. The chamber’s GRC and other chamber councils and the Economic Development Committee, employ an “issues worksheet” to thoroughly analyze an issue. A GRC member volunteers to do the analysis on an issue, ballot measure or piece of legislation. The completed worksheet is distributed to other GRC members to review and use as the focal point of their discussion. After review of an issue, the GRC votes to send its recommendation to the chamber’s board of directors to either support or oppose the legislation, ballot measure or issue. If more than one of the chamber’s councils or committees takes action on the same legislation, ballot measure or issue, all recommendations are sent to the board for consideration, discussion and action. This process is especially interesting, when different recommendations on the same legislation, ballot measure or issue are sent to the board for action.
The board approves recommendations forwarded to it by coun-
cils and committees far more times than not, because board members understand and appreciate the time and process that has taken place prior to such action items coming to them for resolution. Additionally, board votes are not always unanimous, as some might think. Regarding the chamber supporting candidates, the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has decided to focus only on legislation, ballot measures and issues.
Deliberative, responsible and decisive, the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce works hard to provide quality service to our members and promote and develop a strong economic climate in Morgan Hill.
Dan Ehrler has been serving as the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce executive director for two years and has been the chief executive officer for various chamber of commerce organizations in California for more than 20 years. Contact him at de*****@********ll.org
or at (408) 779-9444.
