In an effort to better serve their collective membership, the boards of directors of the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County, based in Clifton Park, and the Capital Region Chamber, based in Albany, have formed a joint task force to examine the possibility of an affiliation between the two.
“The Chamber of Southern Saratoga County, as part of our strategic planning process, has been exploring ways to achieve operational efficiencies through possible alliances and expand the depth and breadth of resources, while retaining focus on serving businesses and communities in Southern Saratoga County,” said Matt Grattan, chairman of the Chamber of Southern Saratoga board.
“We have had initial discussions with the Capital Region Chamber. The proven success with its operating structure would enable the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County to leverage the best of both worlds, by retaining our local influence and programs, providing our members with expanded offerings, providing broader advocacy clout and a larger business network.”
The Capital Region Chamber was formed as an umbrella organization in the spring of 2015 by the memberships of the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber and the Chamber of Schenectady County to be a unifying force for regional business interests and to provide broad-based member services across the four-county area. The Albany-Colonie and Schenectady Chamber became affiliate chambers and continue to provide local advocacy and locally-focused programs.
“There are meaningful synergies between our organizations. The Capital Region Chamber’s organizational structure was intentionally developed to be inclusive, should other organizations wish to affiliate,” said Richard Sleasman, chairman of the Capital Region Chamber.
“The Capital Region is one economic region made up of businesses who share the similar interests about the growth of their organizations and prosperity for the area. Our communities are truly dependent upon each other for success. Our businesses and counties are best positioned to realize their true potential by working across town and county lines,” he said.
No decisions have been made other than to form the joint task force, which will be meeting over the coming months to conduct the necessary due diligence to make a final recommendation to both boards.
As for the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, Theresa Agresta, board chair, said the staff and board “extend our best wishes to our friends and colleagues at both the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County in Clifton Park, and the Capital Region Chamber in Albany, on the announcement of their potential affiliation.”
She said over the past years, “we’ve responded to numerous questions and concerns regarding the overlap of services from multiple chambers and economic development groups in our county and region. It is our position that the best way to collaborate for mutual success is to first make Saratoga County strong, so that our thriving businesses and institutions can help to drive the overall growth and reputation of our region.”
Agresta said Saratoga County has a growing population, a growing economy and “a worldwide brand that attracts millions of visitors and new residents all four seasons of the year. Leading and working alongside our partners in the public, private and impact sectors, we’ve helped create one of the most vibrant and enviable economies in the U.S. This position of strength makes our chamber an extremely effective advocate for important issues with local, regional and statewide impact.