A Letter From The Chair
Page Title
Building Talent. Leading Innovation.
It is with great pleasure that I serve as the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors’ chairman. This chamber is nationally recognized by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for being one of the best in the nation. I am honored to be a part of this nationally recognized organization and look forward to a productive, successful year in 2012.
For my role as chairman, I have chosen the theme: Building Talent. Leading Innovation. After talking with members of the Chamber Board of Directors, volunteers and staff, I believe that this is an ideal theme for our organization. I invite you to review our complete 2012 Action Plan here (PDF version).
As business professionals, we all can appreciate the value of a strong workforce. When the Chamber is involved in expansion and location projects for economic development, one of the assets we emphasize is the strong work ethic in South Central Kentucky. Our employees take pride in their jobs and often become lifetime members of their companies. Businesses recognize this when their leaders are making expansion and location decisions—they locate here and decide to stay and grow because of the assets our region enjoys, including a strong workforce.
South Central Kentucky is ideally positioned to foster even more innovation. The robotics and automation specialization program at Bowling Green Technical College provides the education needed to work in the highly technical field of industrial automation. The college’s Amatrol and mechatronics programs are second to none in the Commonwealth. And Western Kentucky University continues to be a leader in research and development. With highly ranked engineering programs, the Center for Research & Development, the Gatton Academy for Mathematics and Science, and the Honors College, WKU is a hub for innovation and applied research. Our Chamber commends both Bowling Green Technical College and WKU for being leaders in our community, and we look forward to continuing our partnerships in 2012.
The pride I feel for our chamber extends into the City of Bowling Green, Warren County and South Central Kentucky. We are a unique community, one that is focused on the future and that approaches any project with a “can do” attitude. Like the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, our community has been recognized nationally. From being a finalist for the All-American Cities Awards, given by the National Civic League, to being named one of the best places to live and play by National Geographic Adventure, our city is one that gets noticed.
D. Gaines Penn
2012 Chairman of the Board of Directors
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
