The Eastern Plains Chamber of Commerce held its first meeting of 2017 Feb. 1 at Grace Community Church in Falcon. The meeting focused on reviewing the highlights from 2016 and gathering input from the membership on the direction they would like the chamber to take in 2017.In 2016, the chamber had several wonderful speakers, including School District 49 Board of Education members, El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder, El Paso County Commissioner Mark Wahler and many others from local businesses and organizations. The chamber made donations to Relay for Life and the Falcon Regional Park on Eastonville Road.For 2017, the chamber is looking to continue its mission of providing business education and networking opportunities for its members. The chamber is planning to have a few after-hours networking meetings to allow members to meet and share information in a less formal environment, usually at a local business. Additionally, the chamber is going to pursue a demographic study to gather information about the area served by the Eastern Plains Chamber of Commerce to be able to provide the members with useful information for their business or organization. The board also offered an opportunity for the members to provide their input on the direction the chamber is going to take, which includes creating a partnership with the Falcon Business Expo and looking for ways to share information among members.Upcoming speakers:April 5 ñ A speaker from the Small Business Development Center will be featured to speak about what the SBDC can offer the members.May 3 ñ Kelly Ikenberry, a local business coach, will provide useful information on the benefits of using a business coach to grow your business.The Eastern Plains Chamber of Commerce meets the first Wednesday of each month, from 7 to 8:30 a.m. at Grace Community Church, 9475 Grace Church View in Falcon.Chamber dues are dueIf you have not paid for 2017, please visit the website and pay through†paypal: †http://easternplainschamber.com/membership/Or bring the check to the next meeting; or, mail the check ó made out to the Eastern Plains Chamber of Commerce and send to this address:Eastern Plains Chamber of CommerceC/OGrace Community Church9475 Grace Church Vw,Falcon, CO 80831
