In 1988, George Bush was president, the economy threatened recession, and the Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce had about 50 members.
History may have repeated itself 20 years later, except the chamber now has 638 members.
Marking its 20th anniversary, the chamber Board of Directors hosts a celebration Thursday, Jan. 24, at Deer Lake Athletic Club.
‘The 20th anniversary, I think, is an important opportunity for us to look back, pay homage to our tradition of the great people who have helped form our chamber, and all of our accomplishments,? said Executive Director Penny Shanks, chamber member for 11 years
‘It’s also a huge opportunity for us to look forward and to look at where we are going for the next 5, 10, 15, and 20 years.?
The evening will include socializing, dinner, dancing, with music by Rick and Dayna Lieder Band, and special speaker Robert Chioini, president and chief executive officer of Rockwell Medical Technologies.
‘I think with the 20th anniversary, it’s a way to celebrate a lot of the accomplishments that we’ve had,? said Lou Melone, president of the 638 member chamber. ‘And I’m here, obviously, only for a short period, my 2008 stint, but we figured a nice anniversary party dinner and celebrating some of the things that the chamber has accomplished, and hopefully we can set a path goal forward.?
Melone said his main goal for 2008 is helping small business owners in the chamber get tools and resources they need to make it through the current Michigan economy.
‘Like I’ve told everyone, it’s not a lot of fun, but you can’t put your head in the sand. You’ve got to figure out how to get through it and move forward,? he said.
He set up business education lunches starting in February with different speakers. Topics will include how to write business plans, traditional loan financing, balance sheets, alternative financing, marketing and business tricks, and exit planning.
‘It’s kind of the whole life cycle of small business owners,? said Melone. ‘It comes down to just getting the tools, getting the resources to let them say ‘where do I need to go to find out this topic?? And we want the chamber to be the answer.?
Melone has been a certified financial planner for the past 12 years. He spent six years with Morgan Stanley, and the past six years with Smith Barney, a wealth management firm on Wall Street and subsidiary of Citigroup.
‘I deal with high net worth families and high net worth business owners, personal financial planning, estate planning, and business planning also buying and selling businesses,? he said.
Melone grew up in Milford and moved to Clarkston nine years ago. He has been married to his wife, Aime, for nine years, and their son, Austin, 6, attends Cedar Crest Academy. He joined the chamber to meet people because he didn’t know anyone when he moved here, he said.
‘What’s wonderful about Lou as president is he is very focused on the future and helping businesses now,? Shanks said. ‘It’s not just about sitting back and going ‘we have a great chamber, isn’t that wonderful.? It’s how we can be better, how can we do more, how can we be more essential and help our businesses in the area. The 20th anniversary is just a really nice opportunity to really look at that whole picture and celebrate it.?
To RSVP, call 248-625-8055. Cost is $50 per person. Black Tie is optional.