As 2025 draws to a close, I'm filled with gratitude for the extraordinary year we've shared at our Chamber and the impact we have made on the Western New York community. On behalf of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce, I extend a heartfelt thank you to every business owner, employee, and partner whose efforts have been vital. Your dedication and hard work made this year one of collaboration, growth, and meaningful community impact, and I hope you feel proud of what we've achieved together.
We strived to fill our calendar this year with incredible events, from weekly Professional Networking group meetings, monthly Lunch Mobs, Business After Hours, and Lunch & Learns, to sold-out events for our Annual Meeting, Small Business Awards, and The Event – Celebrating Business Excellence 2025.These gatherings brought together hundreds of professionals eager to connect, recognize achievements, share ideas, and build lasting relationships. Your energy and participation made each moment memorable, and your involvement helped strengthen our local economy.
We also made a concerted effort this year to increase our impact on the community through the strength of our membership. We provided countless volunteer opportunities for our young professionals and engaged with our area nonprofit members. If you're interested in supporting or volunteering for next year's Giving Tree initiative, please contact us or visit our website for more details. Thanks to our members' overwhelming generosity, we collected thousands of items and donated thousands of dollars to Child and Family Services, FeedMore WNY, Haven House, Alzheimer’s Association of WNY and Kevin Guest House.
Looking ahead, I'm thrilled to spotlight our flagship professional development program: the EBL Leadership Class, launching in February 2026. Our leadership participants will embark on a 10-month journey designed to challenge their strategic mindset, emotional intelligence, and real-world skills to drive organizational success. Past graduates now serve as executive management, directors, and community board chairs. They have formed strong bonds with their EBL colleagues and continue to bring each other along as a collective strength.
We are seeking young professionals who are hungry for growth and show promise at your company. In a world where 70% of Gen Z report feeling unprepared for leadership roles, EBL bridges that gap. Participants don't just learn leadership; they also have access to some of our community's top executives through the program's mentorship component. Investing in your team's development is smart business. Companies with robust leadership pipelines see 2.5x higher revenue growth. By sponsoring an employee or encouraging a rising star to apply, you're not only strengthening your team, but you’re also future-proofing our community's economy. Applications close January 15th. Visit amherst.org/ebl to nominate someone today.
With 2026 quickly approaching, please join us on Friday, January 30, at 8:30 a.m. at Jazzboline, where we will unveil our Public Policy Agenda. We will hear from newly elected Town of Amherst Supervisor, Shawn Lavin. This event will be standing room only, so please register today!
In closing, I can't thank our tremendous team at the Chamber, Christine, Tiffany, Matthew, Lauren, and Penny, for all their efforts in ensuring our members have everything they need at their disposal to be successful. I wish all of you the very best this holiday season, and please remember my door is always open.
