Message from the Chairman
Dennis Lewandowski, Chairman of the Board, 2018-2019
I am honored and excited to serve as your Oshkosh Chamber Chairman of the Board in the upcoming year. Oshkosh has been my home for more than 25 years. I’ve raised a family and helped to grow a business here. As both an Oshkosh resident and a businessman, I’m honored to be serving the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce.
As your Chairman, I will be supported by an exceptional group of leaders in the business community that make up our Board of Directors. I am proud of the many accomplishments the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce made this past year and I look forward to continuing to generate an atmosphere of growth for businesses here in Oshkosh. I am honored to be involved in one of the most prestigious Chambers in the country – one of 70 5-star accredited chambers out of 7,000 in the US.
The Board of Directors is focused on achieving the goals outlined in our strategic plan focused on these prioritizes:
- Enhance Economic Growth in the Community
- Talent & Workforce Readiness
- Drive Member Value
- Be the Chamber of Influence
- Demonstrate Organizational Excellence & Advance our Community
It will be my top priority to make certain that your Chamber membership is valuable to you. The Oshkosh Chamber is effective because of motivated and dedicated individuals. We rely on membership support to maintain the strong voice we use to influence legislative, community, and quality of life issues that are imperative to Oshkosh’s vitality. We will continue to push collaborative efforts in this community with our partners on the school board, GOEDC, Oshkosh Community Foundation, and city of Oshkosh, as well as maintain effective and professional advocacy when called for.
We will communicate, promote, and implement the economic development services needed to attract, develop and retain area businesses. We continue to focus on filling the employment pool with skilled and community ready people. We will engage in recruiting employees and promote career awareness and exploration programs. We will do this through guidance of our students, both college-bound and otherwise. We also strive to bring forth more awareness of technical education and skills training, which can be a cost-effective way to see a return on an education investment. We will continue to support efforts of talent recruitment to bring workers to Oshkosh.
We will focus energies and resources to engage and involve the members of our young professional group, Propel. This will help to retain these young individuals for local businesses in the Oshkosh area. Propel is a valuable asset to the Chamber. The Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce is the voice of the business community. It is our goal to strengthen the economic base. We strive to advocate on issues that support the overall business community and that lead to overall job growth. We need to work together. I promise to continue to do my best to build bridges, and help drive Oshkosh forward.
This is an exciting time for Oshkosh and I see great opportunity for growth in our community and organization. I look forward to being your chairman for the next year. I know we will work together and continue to show people why Oshkosh is such a great place to live.