I hope your new year is off to a great start and that this first five-day work week doesn’t wear you out. This week, I want to wrap up our 2023 lookback that we started in December. Looking back to the past year not only reminds us of the businesses and people who helped us with our successes and gives them some well-deserved recognition but also helps remind us of how we succeeded last year so we can build on that for the year to come. Next week, I will dive into a preview of 2024 and some of the big plans we have (which are very exciting, if I’m being honest).

In the first part of this three-part series, we covered the official chamber name change and the dozens of bylaw changes that were accepted last January, plus we covered the huge impact our new board President Shannon Anketell has had in her first year of a two-year term, and I bragged about my champions, which are my staff members Anthony and Brittany. In the second part of the series, we recognized the 2023 Cornerstone Members for their tremendous support, the seven business leaders we honored last March at our Annual Awards Night; we thanked the supporters of our Hacker’s Ball golf tournament in May and also revamped our chamber guide with the support of many local businesses, too.

In this final part of the series, I have a handful of additional updates and recognition to round out 2023, so they may be a bit briefer than the first two parts. However, just because they may be briefer doesn’t mean they are any less meaningful.

Workforce programs take off

Loyal readers will know about the workforce programs we have launched and the great partnerships we have with Morse High School, Brunswick High School, Mt. Ararat High School, Midcoast Youth Center, the Retail Association of Maine, Maine Tourism Association and Jobs for Maine’s Graduates. The Extended Learning Opportunity collective of representatives from those organizations have built a collaborative team that met on average twice per month all year long. This collaboration is rare in our state, and because of it, we were asked to speak at a handful of conferences in 2023, including ELO regional conferences, the state ELO conference and the Educate Maine Symposium.

Our collaborative has created numerous opportunities for students in the region, including bus tours on Brunswick Landing, at the BIW Training Academy, at the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport and at L.L. Bean, just to name a few. Dozens of students have completed work-study programs (essentially internships) with many different organizations and businesses in our region, getting exposed to numerous career paths. This work includes in-classroom speakers, career fairs and so much more.

This work is ongoing, and you can sign up your business to host a work-study internship or for a bus tour simply by filling out a form and submitting it to the chamber. The forms can be found on our website at midcoastmaine.com under the Chamber Works 2030 tab. The completion of the form does not guarantee an intern or a tour; however, it does get you on the list for consideration. ELO coordinators constantly review the opportunities in the region and connect the students to the tours and work-study opportunities of interest to them. To find out more about these programs, contact us at the chamber.

Networking programs shine

Our Chamber After Hours have always been a key monthly networking program, but in 2023, they got elevated thanks in large part to Anthony’s hard work of scheduling them sooner and some businesses stepping up to go above and beyond when hosting. We had a three-piece band under a tent at The Highlands, a DJ and photo booth at Darling’s, an elf drop-in at Reform Physical Therapy in October, a huge open house event at Union + Co. in September, and much more.

Additionally, the 12 @ 12 Networking Lunch series became much more consistent in 2023 — again, thanks to Anthony’s hard work and some very accommodating hosts. Finally, WILL Power launched after the pandemic with two events in 2023, which gave another avenue for business leaders to connect. We expect all three of these programs to thrive in 2024. If you have questions about any of it, please contact Anthony at our BBRC office at (207) 725-8797.

Second newsletter and social media

Thanks to Brittany, we launched the Brunswick Landing News & Notes, a second e-newsletter, which focuses on news for the hundreds of Brunswick Landing businesses and stakeholders. This second newsletter is biweekly, and anyone can receive it by contacting Brittany in our office. You can also sign up for our regular BBRC News & Notes, which is our weekly newsletter full of news from the entire membership.

Also, Brittany has helped increase our Facebook presence and initiated our Instagram account to reach more people on social media. To follow us on either site, simply search for “Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber.”

Record-breaking Midcoast Tree Festival

This is covered ground, and we will have more about the MTF in next week’s 2024 preview, but MTF 2023 was a record-breaker, including the most gifts given, most tickets sold, highest funds raised, most tree spaces and more. Thank you to the hundreds of businesses and volunteers who helped make it possible this last November, and a special shout-out to our partners on the project: All Saints Parish and Spectrum Generations.

Teamwork makes the dream work

On a personal note, as I look back at 2023, I realize that I had some personal issues arise throughout the year and my team (staff, volunteers and board members) stepped up big time. Between paternity leave, my heart procedure this summer and more, there were several weeks where I worked remotely or not at all. I hope that in your job you’re supported as well as I am — it’s humbling and I’m extremely grateful for my team.

Cory King is executive director of the Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber of Commerce.

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