Get Out There!
Supporting another’s success will never dampen yours. - Oleg Lougheed
The Woodbury CT Chamber of Commerce was started as a way for local businesses to work together to build a strong economic base for the benefit of all. Karen Reddington-Hughes, Paul Luchetti, and Robert Clarke believed that a Chamber of Commerce could be the vessel that would carry this idea forward.
Karen as President, Paul as Vice President, and Bob as Treasurer, worked diligently to establish the bylaws and register them with the state before they began speaking to local professionals to create a team to launch that newly established Chamber.
For three years the Chamber grew in membership and scope, and then COVID happened. As with everyone else, we had to quickly learn how to navigate this new reality. Karen communicated the changes that were happening in real time. Helping our members have the most up to date resources when it seemed like the rules were changing daily. We used social media to post which restaurants were open, their menus, and how they were handling the no contact rules, we went online with meetings so members could still feel connected and know they weren’t alone in their distress, Karen shared financial assistance, grants and programs the government was offering, and we hosted online social opportunities that we hoped were engaging, fun and beneficial to both the public, members and non-members alike. Absolutely none of that was easy.
Fast forward to 2022, we came back to life, albeit slowly. It was like building from the ground up again. Rebuilding our presence, our membership, and our goals. Karen, Paul and Bob, still steadfast that the Chamber was needed. At the end of 2022, Karen announced she was stepping down, she had seen us through the pandemic and was excited to support the next group of leaders.
2023 saw a new president and continued growth in membership coming from not just Woodbury but Bethlehem, Southbury, and Washington. Committees were formed and an enthusiastic membership body began planning events. We got back to the Get Socials, networking events, interactive meetings, sharing of experiences and knowledge, and the original mindset of working together to benefit all. The Chamber then decided to focus on one thing and that was supporting our Events Committee on bringing the Fall Festival back. The committee volunteers worked diligently to make the event an astounding success and it demonstrated how successful we can be when we work together towards a common goal.
This year has been one of growth, learning and change. We have increased our social media presence, participated in many ribbon cuttings, supported other organizations in town and started working on our 2024 goals with many exciting events in the works.
Thank you to everyone for your support, check out our calendar for upcoming events and we hope you consider joining the Woodbury CT. Chamber of Commerce!
~Robyn Dostie Esposito
