I am honored to serve as the 2018 Chair of the River Region Chamber Board of Directors.

I pledge to each of you that I will bring the best of my abilities to your Chamber and our region as we continue to grow, strengthen and unify the businesses in St. James, St. John the Baptist and St. Charles parishes.

I am equally excited to share that this year is off to a fantastic start and I am personally energized by your participation, desire to get involved and your eagerness to “Come Grow with Us.”

Your attendance at our recent annual banquet by far exceeded our expectations. As you recall, that week brought us unusually cold temperatures that caused havoc for us personally and within our businesses.

Yet, you made it a point to be there. Even more encouraging was the networking and camaraderie that filled the room after our program ended.

Our first ‘Chamber Perks’ event was held on Feb. 1 — again, a great showing by our members, ambassadors and board of directors. Our goal to increase member engagement is off to a great start.

As part of our growth strategy, we will be hosting several first time events; the first being a “Leads for Lunch” program. This member-only affair will be a great way to advertise and promote your business to other chamber members.

This is an event that our marketers and business owners will not want to miss.

We also remain diligent in our programs and committees to promote workforce development, pro-business policy making and leadership development for our communities.

The River Region Chamber of Commerce will continue to be a catalyst for economic viability through partnerships, member engagement and networking opportunities.

I invite you to “Come Grow with Us!”

All the best,

Kim B. Bourgeois of Louisiana Federal Credit Union is the 2018 River Region Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Chairwoman.