Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
Chris Grace, chair of the Shelby County Chamber, addresses the crowd during the first in person Chelsea Business Alliance luncheon in 14 months. The CBA met on May 12 for the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It had been 15 months since the last in person meeting of the Chelsea Business Alliance.
On May 12, the organization had its first luncheon since February 2020 at the Chelsea Community Center.
The CBA has a new president in Donna Bowles, who took over leadership of the group in May, replacing Diane Thomas.
Bowles welcomed CBA members and guests and said how happy she was to get to see everyone’s faces.
The CBA recently announced a partnership with the Shelby County Chamber in May. Both of the 501(c)(6) organizations have officially entered into a collaborative working agreement.
Chelsea City Council member Chris Grace, who also serves as chair of the Shelby County Chamber, also spoke about the excitement of things happening in the city of Chelsea in 2021, including the Chelsea Business Park and new restaurants coming to the area.
“There is dirt moving all over the city, especially from a business perspective,” Grace said. “We expect the census results to come in around 15,000, which is kind of a benchmark. The city also didn’t see a huge dip in revenue in 2020.”
Grace said that Chelsea has been a bedroom community for many years, and the city doesn’t have 100 years of infrastructure compared to many smaller cities.
Immediate past chair of the Shelby County Chamber, Kathy Copeland said this day had been years in the making and this collaboration is the cornerstone for a five year vision of the strategic plan.
“I could tell just from having a phone call that Donna that her energy is going to elevate this group,” Copeland said. “That coupled with us being able to get back to in person relationships and networking is going to make this a really dynamic organization.”
Copeland said the partnership with the chamber will provide access to business information, future workshops, increased visibility of Chelsea in the county all prove to be valuable and worthwhile for all biz in Chelsea.
Bowles, who also works at Chelsea radio station KOOL 96.9 FM said almost two years ago she spoke at one of the CBA meetings on the importance of community, and she believes the community is not a place, but the people.
“I want to challenge you to think of who your community is,” she said. “What are you doing to contribute to your community? I encourage you to be present and involved in your work, family, church and community.
Whether with your time, money, wisdom or piece of your heart, I hope you will join me as we continue to make Chelsea a community we are all proud to call home.”
Upcoming events in partnership with the Shelby Chamber include:
► June 3: Small Business of the Year awards
► June 9: CBA luncheon at the Chelsea Community Center 11:30 a.m.
► June 30: Healthcare Professional of the Year awards
► July 13: Coffee with Mayor Tony Picklesimer at the Chelsea Community Center 8:30 a.m.
► July 14: CBA luncheon at the Chelsea Community Center 11:30 a.m.
For more information, visit the Chelsea Business Alliance on Facebook or shelby
chamber.org.
