By Janet Knauff
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24 Jan, 2023
At the Annual Meeting & Installation of the 2023 Board of Directors, the chamber unveiled a fresh new look that is designed to better represent the brand of this 133-year-old organization. Outgoing President Elizabeth Godwin of Duke Energy said the plan for this rebrand began a year ago at the annual board of directors planning retreat. "We brought in a consultant to help us refine the Chamber’s mission and vision," said Godwin. "Our board worked diligently through a process to better clarify our brand message of who we are and the geographic area we serve," the President stated. The final result was a new logo, a revised name, a new chamber online platform, and new and improved programming and events. Chamber CEO Janet Knauff says the new logo and name represent the strong foundational history of the chamber, now known as the DeLand & Greater West Volusia Chamber of Commerce, as well as the "business forward" innovative approach of this community organization and its leadership. "With the incredible growth West Volusia is experiencing, we found ourselves answering the same questions on a daily basis about our former name of DeLand Area Chamber & Orange City Alliance. Now businesses will be clear that we serve all of West Volusia County," said Knauff. Retaining DeLand in the new name was only natural as the chamber’s roots are woven deep into the economic development history of the Volusia County seat. The organization is known for its legacy as a developer and accelerator of programs that have grown into independent or countywide organizations. The DeLand Area Chamber convened a “Committee of 100” in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s before there were countywide economic development organizations. This group was part of similar economic development organizations that were pulled together into the Volusia County Business Development Corp., a public/private organization. This organization then transitioned into Enterprise Volusia, which became the economic development set up with the public Volusia County Economic Development division and the private Team Volusia Economic Development Corp. The Mainstreet Committee formed by DeLand Area Chamber, later spun off into the MainStreet DeLand Association as the chamber had broadened its scope beyond the downtown corridor to a regional chamber for West Volusia. Still going strong, the chamber and MSDA have tight bonds and partner together to serve downtown DeLand. Part of the chamber’s evolution over the past century has reflected a changing business world and resulted in a more strategic business focus. The chamber moved away from the old role of tourist or welcome center in 2006, with the formation of the separate West Volusia Tourism Advertising Authority, which continues to be a valued partner of the chamber. In 2013, the City of Orange City partnered with the DeLand Area Chamber of Commerce to form the Orange City Alliance. This partnership positioned the chamber as the official voice of the Orange City business community through the Business Retention & Expansion (BRE) program. The Chamber began serving Orange City, along with their established BRE partnership with the City of DeLand, by visiting and surveying existing businesses with the goals of addressing issues and collecting informative feedback to strategically strengthen business retention and economic development. Included in the new chamber rebrand, the Orange City Alliance also debuted a fresh modern logo update at the annual meeting to match the DeLand & Greater West Volusia branding. The chamber maintains a separate website as a resource specifically for Orange City businesses at www.orangecityalliance.com , along with an Orange City Alliance Facebook page. "Orange City is our retail-commercial capital of West Volusia and a vital part of our regional economy," states Chamber CEO Janet Knauff, "and our partnership with Orange City is one of our top priorities." "Every business community in the 6 municipalities and surrounding areas that we serve have their own unique needs and we strive to build our programming around their interests," says Knauff. Last year in 2022, the chamber expanded to 4 locations in West Volusia with the DeLand main office and satellite offices in Orange City, DeBary, and Deltona, also adding 2 additional full-time staff members. Business Resource Workshops on a variety of topics are offered at the new locations free of charge to members and nonmembers alike. This year in 2023, incoming President Libby Molesky of Complete Parachute Solutions is expanding the Chamber Board of Directors to include 4 Divisional Vice-Presidents that will each serve as Chair for the newly formed Chamber Councils representing DeLand, Orange City, DeBary and Deltona. The City of Lake Helen and Town of Pierson will also be represented within the councils. The Divisional VPs were sworn in at the Annual Meeting & Installation on January 23 rd , and it was announced that more information will be released soon on the mission and purpose of the councils and how chamber members may apply to serve on a council. At 133 years strong, the chamber continues to build on its legacy of service to the West Volusia region by facilitating connections, growth, opportunities, and resources for small to large businesses, corporate entities, and nonprofit organizations. Now known as the DeLand & Greater West Volusia Chamber of Commerce, this well-respected organization continues traditions with long-standing events such as the West Volusia State of the Region and West Volusia Crystal Apple Awards as well as programs including School of Excellence, School of Government, and Leadership West Volusia now in its 38th year. Today, the chamber remains the largest business network in West Volusia with a membership of almost 600 businesses representing thousands of employees across West Volusia, and over 100 networking events per year including a weekly average attendance of 70 at the Monday morning Office Octane meetup. The robust event lineup for 2023 includes 3 new Mega Events focused on supporting businesses in the areas most requested from recently collected feedback. VISION 2023 – a Growth, Sustainability & Economic Vitality Summit is slated for Spring, followed by BRAND 2023 – a Small Business Marketing & Innovation Convention scheduled for Summer, and TALENT 2023 – a Workforce Solutions Conference will round out the year in Fall 2023. Each mega event includes a variety of programming over a consecutive 3-day period. Following the annual meeting, members will receive a new "Member Menu" of benefits along with plaques and decals with the new logo. According to Chamber CEO Janet Knauff, the chamber staff has worked diligently over the past 6 months to transition to a new platform that offers a radical upgrade to chamber membership. "Now equipped with the latest technology in the chamber world, the DeLand & Greater West Volusia Chamber of Commerce is poised to meet the needs of businesses in this digital age," Knauff says. Members will also see a continuation and enhancement of the 2 chamber initiatives this year, Women Empowered and West Volusia Wellness. Founded in 2018 by the chamber and Stetson University, the mission of Women Empowered is to engage and inspire women through leadership development. Building on the successful storytelling series of 2019-2022, this year WE will launch a Ted-style talk event titled EMPOWER WEST VOLUSIA and host "The Chamber Goes Pink" in October 2023 to promote breast cancer awareness and recognize our healthcare industry workforce in West Volusia. The West Volusia Wellness initiative of the chamber and West Volusia Tourism will continue the mission of empowering West Volusia to live a wellness lifestyle, leading business community wellness for employees, and uniting our local wellness professionals for a stronger and more cohesive network of care through referrals. With the new digital platform of the chamber, members and employees will be provided a texting keyword to access the app for a provider list and discounted offers on products and services. All 8 dimensions of wellness are represented in the W.I.N. (Wellness Initiative Network), which also includes Wellness Destination Tourism.  Chamber committees have been revitalized and 2023 Committee Chairs were announced at the chamber annual meeting. The Government Affairs Committee, formerly Legislative Affairs, will host a new Town Hall series in 2023. And the newly launched chamber trustee program has so far brought together a total of 24 businesses and municipalities who have become Legacy Investors in the chamber mission and vision for West Volusia. Together, with their partners and investors, the DeLand & Greater West Volusia Chamber of Commerce is well-prepared to support and advocate on behalf of our business communities for the next 133 years!