As we head into 2025, I can’t help but reflect on the journey we’ve shared as a community over the last year. Serving as the CEO of the Steamboat Springs Chamber team has been both a privilege and a learning journey I am grateful for. Now two years into this role, I find myself thinking about my first official day as CEO, the day the pipes burst in our outdoor bathrooms.

After being drenched turning off the water, unable to find an available repair person to come to the rescue, and finally turning to YouTube to fix the problem myself, I was struck with a realization: the solution to seemingly complex problems often lies in common-sense actions, but sometimes, we don’t know what we don’t know until we try something new. This year has been a testament to that truth.

Take our Empower Yampa Valley Summit, for example. This event focused on the basics of what makes a great workplace, strong company culture, and employee wellness and satisfaction. We brought together local businesses, workplace culture and DE&I experts, and community leaders to share their knowledge so we could grow together. The overwhelmingly positive response to this summit showed us that creating space for connection and learning is one of the most impactful things we do.

Housing has also been a focus. It’s a challenge we’ve all felt in some way, and while there’s no quick fix, the Chamber made strides by advocating for practical solutions and participating on groups and on taskforces that are making real changes.

By working with both local and state-level partners and policymakers, we’ve started to lay a foundation for real, lasting change, a reminder that progress takes time, but every step forward matters.

Our collaboration with the Mountain Chamber Alliance was another highlight of 2024. By uniting with organizations who face similar challenges to our community, we amplified our advocacy for pro-business policies at both the state and federal levels. Together, we’ve made a stronger case for the needs of our businesses, proving once again that teamwork and collaboration makes all the difference.

Then there’s the “Do Steamboat Springs Right” campaign, which invites visitors to enjoy our town responsibly. Paired with the completion of the Destination Stewardship Action Plan, this work has empowered us to leverage tourism in a way that supports a thriving Steamboat Springs economy while encouraging responsible and respectful use and protecting Steamboat Springs’ cultural identity.

We’ve also worked hard this year to improve communication with our members. From streamlining email updates and expanding social media efforts to delivering more comprehensive resources, our goal has been to ensure that every member feels informed, connected, and valued.

And finally, what made all this work possible was our new 3-year strategic plan, a roadmap designed to position us to proactively support the business community of the Yampa Valley now and in the future. Developed over several months with input from our Board, stakeholders, community partners, and our dedicated staff, this plan outlines strategic initiatives that will guide our efforts through the next three years.

As we move into 2025, we invite you to review our 2024 Annual Report which shows our accomplishments and the progress we made over the last year. Change may be inevitable, but with a solid foundation and a clear vision, we can shape the future we want for Routt County. Business challenges like housing, childcare, and workforce retention and attraction, aren’t going away, but neither is our resolve to address them head-on.

To our members, partners, and workforce: thank you for your trust, your collaboration, and your belief in what we can achieve together. Here’s to another year of learning, growing, and creating vitality in the valley.