As I write this on the heels of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech, I thought it might be nice to share what the Radford Chamber of Commerce is doing in order to help define what Radford will look like once we come out of the current recession in the city and the nation. The Radford Chamber of Commerce’s mission statement is as follows:

The Radford Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to the advancement of the quality of life and prosperity of the city, its citizens, and the business community, definining Radford as the economic and cultural hub of the New River Valley.

Pretty lofty mission statement—and for good reason. We have in our great city plenty of people who care, work hard, and are willing to go the extra mile in order to make a difference. I found this out first hand January 14-15 when members of the Radford Chamber Board met to discuss what we are doing, what can we do, and what our ultimate goal was.

The answer came as we created a strategic plan that we believe will meet our mission statement and improve our city. Here are a few things from our meetings:

1. Proactively work with the city to help recruit, retain, and expand employment opportunities within the city by finding out what our business community needs/wants in order for them to thrive. We will be opening up lines of communication between the city officials and local employers to make sure they are getting their voices heard. We will share information with the Virginia Economic Bridge in order to help with their goal of developing entrepreneurial opportunities.

2. Develop a professional development program that will increase educational opportunities for members. This is currently being done with our Small Business Education series but will be expanded and ongoing. Please call the Radford Chamber at 540.639.2202 for more info.

3. Create an effective communications program that will get information out to all concerned parties. This could be for work-related opportunities, cultural events such as river events or chili festivals (2nd annual coming in May 2010). etc.

4. Create and support an effective mentoring/internship program with Radford City Schools and Radford University. Doing this will pair individuals with skill sets and knowledge with current and future employers in the city who will benefit from such skills and knowledge. In meeting current needs, an employer will see the value this individuals brings and ultimately lead to a perfect hire for the business.

5. Make sure people understand that Radford is the recreational center of the New River Valley by highlighting current attractions such as Main Street’s “After 5″ concert series, the Chili Festival, live music held at multiple locations such as the Coffe Mill and Nesselrod on the New, July fireworks, our Recreaction Center, the river, trick or treating downtown, Christmas parade, etc.

In the coming weeks, the Chamber will be looking inside and out of the current membership to find the motivated individuals (city officials, business owners, employees, students, concerned citizens) who possess the skills to help fulfill our mission statement. We are excited about the direction your Radford Chamber of Commerce is going, and know this to be true: We will be visible. We will be effective. We will succeed—as failure is not an option.

Keith P. Weltens is President of the Radford Chamber of Commerce. He is a 1995 graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in finance. He worked at Ferguson Enterprise in Radford for five years and is currently completing his 10th year as a Senior Financial Advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., located in Radford. He lives in Radford with his wife, Julie Weltens, and four children.