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I am excited and proud to assume the role as the President of the Santa Rosa County Chamber of Commerce in 2010! I look forward to working with our Executive Director, Donna Tucker, and our Office Manager, Nicole Frenk, as well as the outstanding members of the Board. The job that Donna and Nicole do each day for our Chamber, members, and community is more than remarkable.

One of my first actions as the new President of the Chamber is to offer my sincere thanks to our Past-President, Joshua Durst, for the many accomplishments achieved by the Chamber under his exceptional leadership. It was an objective of the Chamber in 2009 to reach 600 members, a key milestone that was achieved in October 2009. Having strength in our membership as we enter into 2010 helps to set the backdrop for what will be my focus as your new President.

Some may debate whether we are in a "good" or "bad" economy; however, one thing is clear, we are definitely in a "new" economy. As a result, businesses must adjust their tactics and explore additional methods or venues to reach new customers or clients. The Santa Rosa County Chamber stands ready to serve the community as a local resource in this regard. We are always proud to provide members opportunities to communicate their services and showcase their products. Venues such as Business After-Hours, Small Business Networking Luncheon, and The A.M. Network breakfast are to name just a few. In 2009, it was not uncommon to have anywhere from 70 to 100 members and guests take part in Chamber organized events that provided members with important networking opportunities.

It will, therefore, be my endeavor in 2010 to continue to grow membership in order provide an even bigger and stronger audience at chamber events, and to also work with our members to not only survive but to THRIVE in this "new" economy. As Benjamin Franklin stated at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, "We must all hang together or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately."

While the holiday season is critical for commerce, it is also a time to celebrate the true spirit of the season and to spend time with family and friends at events that bring our community together. The Milton Christmas Parade: 'A Christmas Tradition', Chaired by Connie Clark and supported by numerous volunteers, was held on December 5th. Holiday parades are clearly one of those special events that help kick-off the holiday spirit for the whole family. The Milton Christmas Parade was then followed by the Holiday Lighted Boat Parade, originally scheduled for Saturday, December 12th, but rescheduled due to inclement weather for December 13th. Although several participants were unable to make the new date, six brave mariners manned their vessels in the heavy fog for what turned out to be a beautiful parade.

We must not forget that the holidays are also a time for "giving". A special thank you to the Leadership Alumni that volunteered at WSRE for a Membership Pledge Drive which raised over $5,000.00! In addition, Leadership Santa Rosa held graduation for 37 – Class 23 participants. Santa Rosa Leadership Class 23 proved to be a very informed, motivated, and visibly active leadership class within our community. Orientation was also held for Class 24, and I am pleased to report that there are 34 participants that will go through the Leadership Santa Rosa program in 2010. To give back to our community we must all continue our focus on the Shop Local initiative, not only during the holiday season but throughout the entire New Year.

In closing, I would like to personally wish all our citizens of this great community a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

Ricardo Layun
2010 President