Connect With Your Community!
Connect With Your Community!
2024 will be a year of changes for the Three Forks Chamber of Commerce.
At the end of 2023, Leann Bryant of Hollowtop Heating and Cooling was elected the new Chamber Board President.
For Bryant, it is a position she takes very seriously.
"As a small business owner myself and a Three Forks community member, I want to see the economy and families of Three Forks thrive. It's important to me on a personal and professional level that Three Forks is able to flourish in the new and exciting growth we are seeing while maintaining the small-town charm and culture we all appreciate it for," said Bryant. "The Chamber's role in this goal is to support the businesses maintaining, expanding in, and coming to our community. We measure our success in that goal by the number of businesses active within our Chamber, their level of involvement in Chamber activities and processes, and their constructive feedback. Without the involvement and feedback of our members, we are essentially 'lost at sea.' They are really what drives the Chamber mission."
At a special meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 4, at 2 p.m. at 84 Rolling Glen Loop in Three Forks, the Chamber Board will be meeting to review and discuss bylaws.
According to Bryant, the bylaws have needed general updates for some time.
Bryant said her personal mentor and former Chamber President Brooke Leugers had wanted to create a committee to deal with the bylaws before she left, but with so little time in everyone's calendars, it didn't happen.
"I decided before appointing new committee seats; we should go through the bylaws and update things that simply don't apply to the general function of the Chamber anymore and clarify some vague areas that affect daily operations. For instance, is a Facebook post a 'Chamber publication' or a 'social platform'? Seems innocuous, but in today's world, it's a clarification that needs agreement to proceed," Bryant said.
The Chamber Board has also changed the time of their monthly meetings. While the board will still meet the second Monday of each month, the time has been changed from 1 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., with the first meeting of the year scheduled for January 8 at the Three Forks Community Library.
Bryant said the decision to change the meeting times was in part influenced by the Three Forks Small Business Network, a group of local business owners responsible for activities such as the Ladies Night Fall Walk.
"When I met with them prior to my appointment as President, among other things, we discussed how difficult it can be for them to get away from their busy schedules in the middle of the day to attend a Chamber meeting. In an effort to be more inclusive, encourage involvement and as a show of faith that their concerns were heard and validated, the board agreed a shift of the meeting time was an easy change," Bryant said.
With the new year underway, Bryant also wanted to recognize Leugers for her time with the Chamber.
"I cannot thank Brooke enough for her dedicated leadership for many years. The job she has done has been, at times, difficult and often thankless. I think it's important to recognize her efforts were on a volunteer, altruistic basis and every choice she made was in the best interest of Three Forks business and economy just as our mission statement implies. She leaves behind a legacy of integrity and perseverance. I still have a lot to learn from her in terms of processes and procedures, but she is always a phone call away. I appreciate her as a leader and an intelligent, empowered woman. I look forward to the challenges and rewards that lie ahead." Bryant said.
Other members of the 2024 Chamber Board are Ranee Berg, Karen Greene, Emily Smith, Jill Peterson, and Stacy Miller.
Bryant said she also urges any resident or business owner to reach out to any of the highly capable board members or to email chamber@threeforksmontana.com with any questions or feedback.
“Our door and ears are open and receptive. We aren’t a Chamber of Commerce without you,” she said.
