Chamber Partnerships and Committees

Without valuable partnerships, volunteers, and small working committees, the job of the Loveland Chamber of Commerce would not be performed as efficiently and effectively.

Without this combined effort, the needs of our members, the city and the northern front range region would not be realized. Working together to provide creative and innovative planning has maintained the quality of life that makes Loveland a great place to live, work and conduct business.

Chamber Business Development Partners

Aims Community College
As a community college, Aims is very active in the community, serving on many committees, partnering with the Loveland Chamber of Commerce. Aims is one of the largest and most respected colleges in Colorado. With an annual enrollment of 14,000 students and more than 2,000 course offerings, Aims is truly a comprehensive 2-year college. Above all, Aims is focused on the success of each student, with a slogan of, "if you want to succeed, we won't let you fail."

The City of Loveland
The City of Loveland and the Loveland Chamber of Commerce partner in many areas to strengthen the economic vitality and maintain the outstanding quality of life Loveland residents' value. From community-wide events, to supporting our businesses, the Chamber and the City work together.

Downtown Loveland Association
The Loveland Chamber of Commerce played an active role in the development of the Downtown Loveland Association (DLA), and remains a visible participant. In partnership with the Chamber, the DLA will continue to work toward attracting more businesses, events and visitors to downtown Loveland. The DLA mission is to promote unity, public awareness and economic vitality of downtown while cooperating with local business, residents and government agencies to support and enhance the area.

Loveland Center for Business Development
A City of Loveland program, the Loveland Center for Business Development (LCBD), housed with the Chamber of Commerce is a perfect match. Whether you are starting your own business, or a seasoned business owner, the Loveland Center for Business Development is a valuable resource. This non-profit corporation provides counseling, group training, financial assistance and referrals all free of charge. LCBD combines expertise and resources with more than 70 volunteer counselors who bring business knowledge to provide in-depth, useful information on a variety of subjects such as financing, marketing, legal business plan writing, and operations.

Loveland Economic Gardening Program
Economic Gardening, a joint program of the Loveland Chamber of Commerce, the City of Loveland, and the Loveland Center for Business Development, is available to new and existing businesses within the city limits of Loveland. The concept is a facet of economic development that invests in existing small businesses by providing them with access to strategic information, connections to consumers, and connections to other businesses through technology that small businesses may not otherwise have access to or be able to afford. The purpose of an Economic Gardening Program is to mine information from high-powered databases, geographic information systems and other information tools to increase the competitiveness of Loveland businesses. By sitting down and individually helping small business entrepreneurs identify key customers, create strategies and efficiently target their markets, the program provides important information to the small business community that is typically only accessible to major corporations. Identifying and targeting growth businesses will also be a key component of the economic gardening program. Growth businesses are by definition those businesses that grow at least 20 percent a year for four years from a base of at least $100,000 in revenues – in effect, at least doubling in size over that four year period.

Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation
The Loveland Chamber of Commerce supports and recognizes the value of the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation as a partner, and a regional organization attracting and promoting primary jobs. We jointly support primary job growth, business development, and assist each other in identifying opportunities to improve the economy, job market, and overall quality of life in Loveland. We share representation on each other's boards.

Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance
Good government requires staying involved and we consider it a priority and conducive for good business. We partner with The Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance consisting of a 21-member board of directors, the joint public policy advocacy effort of the Loveland, Fort Collins and Greeley Chambers of Commerce, Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation and Upstate Colorado Economic Development.

The cooperation has resulted in a more efficient and faster response to the needs of businesses in the northern front range communities. The board is autonomous and meets twice a month during the legislative session. Each year the cooperative board identifies the issues they want to focus on during the upcoming state legislative sessions. Members of the NCLA have been successful in their efforts to be heard at the state level.

Loveland Chamber of Commerce representatives who serve on this committee include Gaye Stockman, Loveland Chamber of Commerce; Doug Hill, McWhinney Enterprises; Mark Weaver, Employer Solutions Group; Jean Mooney, Agilent Technologies; Bill Wangnild, Wangnild Real Estate Company, Inc.; Gene Pielin, GMK Horticulture; and Carol Salter, McKee Medical Center.

Thompson School District R2-J
The Chamber of Commerce and the Thompson School District work together in many ways including hosting the annual New Teacher's Breakfast, participating in the Business to Work Experience program, and assisting in other community projects, such as Help Kids Succeed School Supply Drive. In addition, a representative from the district serves as an ex officio member of the Chamber Board of Directors.

The Thompson School District serves more than 14,000 students at 18 elementary schools, five middle schools, and five high schools, with 900 plus teachers. The district is a leader in the area of modernizing curriculum, re-designing testing and aligning both with state academic standards.

Chamber Committees

Executive Committee
The Executive Committee of the Chamber consists of the officers of the Loveland Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Their job is to provide a direct link between the Board and staff; oversee the immediate needs of the Board; and provide direction of Chamber relations.

Policy Governance Committee
This is a new committee in 2007, focused on determining the Chamber Board's philosophy, its accountability and specifics of how it is meeting those ends. The linkage of the board to the membership is critical to determine that philosophy and accountability. Simply put, Policy Governance is a basic set of concepts and principals that provide a complete framework for efficient, focused and productive carrying out of the task of governing boards. It enables boards to experience true accountability.

Finance/Audit Committee
Assists the Board by overseeing the integrity of the Chamber's financial statements, the Chamber's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the independent auditor's qualifications and independence, and the performance of the Chamber's internal audit function. It is a managerial control which functions by measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of the Chamber's financials.

Nominating Committee
Guidelines used by the Nominating Committee in preparing a slate of candidates to fill vacancies for Board of Director positions are:

• Required - Nominee must be a Chamber member in good standing, be 21 years of age or older, and be willing to commit to a 3-year term. This includes attendance of meetings, events and committees.
• Preferred - Minimum 1 year active involvement as a Chamber member, a Leadership Loveland graduate, a decision maker in business, and employed by a Loveland business (mailing address indicates whether the business is a Loveland business.)
• Other - Maximum number of Board members from a single organization is two (2). In selecting nominees, the primary consideration will be individuals and their potential contribution. Secondly, underrepresented sectors of the business community will be considered. The Chamber does not discriminate.

Corn Roast Committee
The Loveland Corn Roast Committee (LCRC) is a standing committee of which its members are appointed to three-year terms by the Loveland Chamber Board of Directors. The purpose of the LCRC is to provide the best possible Corn Roast Festival in the fall of each year. The committee is comprised of members of the Loveland Chamber of Commerce, and community volunteers to oversee the Corn Roast Festival and the numerous sub-committees and mini-events that fall under the Corn Roast Festival. Special volunteer sub-committees have been established to coordinate the function surrounding the Corn Roast, including Parade, Bed Race, Corn Shucking, Corn Eating, Vendors/Entertainment, Security, Finance, Information/Public Relations, and Safety/Emergency Services.

Leadership Loveland Advisory Committee
Leadership Loveland is such a valuable Chamber program the Chamber Board of Directors take an active role with the development of the Leadership Loveland Advisory Committee. A representative from the Chamber Board of Directors serves as co-chair of the Leadership Loveland Steering Committee. The Advisory Committee reviews the objectives, and secures the focus of the leadership program.

New Member Welcome Committee
This new committee was developed to assist new members and welcome them to the Chamber's programs. This committee meets in an informal setting the fourth Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. The purpose is to assign new members to veteran members who will follow-up and encourage the newcomers to participate in Chamber benefits.