Message From the President

Message from the President | September 2020 President/CEO A.J. Baynes As Western New Yorkers, we are no stranger to obstacles. Our community has made one of the most unbelievable comebacks after decades of economic decline and population loss. Just eight months ago, at the Chamber’s State of the Town event, there was a palpable energy…

Message from the President | August 2020 President/CEO A.J. Baynes What are your COVID-19 lessons? No one was prepared for a crisis of this magnitude, but business owners are resilient and over the past six months, they have swiftly responded to meet changing rules and regulations, to ensure the safety of their customers, and to…

Message from the President | July 2020 President/CEO A.J. Baynes Let’s keep moving forward. The WNY region and New York State have made great strides in diminishing the threat from the deadly Coronavirus. The safer we can be the better we can protect our local economy that is continuing to emerge from the shutdown caused…

Message from the President | June 2020 President/CEO A.J. Baynes The Western New York region moved into Phase Two reopening today, two weeks after getting state approval to begin the rollout of the local economy. This is an important step because it means back to work for many businesses, including limited retail, hair salons and…

Message from the President | May 2020 President/CEO A.J. Baynes For more than 50 years, the country has marked “National Small Business Week” in May. Even though this year’s celebrations have been postponed, now more than ever, we are recognizing the significance of small business in our economy. The coronavirus pandemic has shaken most every…

Message from the President | April 2020 President/CEO A.J. Baynes What a difference a month can make. The last time I wrote this message, the Chamber was full steam ahead with our major spring event and educational programs for our members. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic swept across our country. Within days, almost everything was shut…