When we changed our name on August 25, it wasn’t just a name change. Yes, we dropped “Chamber of Commerce” from our name, but legally we are still a chamber of commerce. We reprioritized our focus for YOU, our members, and we decided that Advocacy should be listed as the first of our four pillars.
The Waukesha County Action Network now exists only as our policy board. They are in place to decide on the issues most important to the businesses in our county, and to come up with action steps for our members when possible.
Our policy board has five committees:
- Consolidated Services
- Economic Development
- Education
- Infrastructure
- Water
Here are some details on each of these committees:
Consolidated Services will be working to make sure public and private entities are working as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.
Economic Development:
1. Foster Business Development Through Greater Collaboration
2. Advance Efforts to Streamline and Simplify Inconsistencies in Taxes and Regulations
3. Advocate for Tax and Regulatory Measures that Promote Business Retention
4. Support State and National Efforts to Ensure Businesses are Treated Fairly
The Education committee will be looking at our schools to make sure they will be able to produce students who are able to meet the growing and changing needs of the workforce.
The Infrastructure committee:
Waukesha County’s economic vitality depends on an efficient transportation system to connect people to jobs and facilitate the flow of goods and services to markets. Long term funding strategies, coupled with solid long term planning are critical to delivering a sound transportation system. There are two immediate needs impacting Waukesha County: Zoo Interchange and the Waukesha West Bypass.
Water:
A vibrant business climate in Waukesha County hinges on the ability of its communities to secure a sustainable, long-term and safe supply of drinking water that is affordable for all residential and business users.
Our overall goals with the policy board and these committees are as follows:
- Encourage economic development by promoting greater collaboration between the many stakeholders, both public and private, in the county and region.
- Improve and modernize our public infrastructure, including roads and water supply, so people and businesses continue to want to locate here.
- Ensure employers today and in the future have access to a skilled talent pool of workers.
- Create a competitive tax and regulatory climate that retains, attracts and creates businesses and jobs.
If you feel that you might be able to serve the Waukesha County business community through one of these committees, please contact Suzanne at skelley@waukesha.org. She can connect you to the appropriate committee chair, and you can move forward from there.
If you don’t feel the urge to serve on one of these committees, you can still be involved through our efforts. We send out periodic advocacy updates, often encouraging you to take action. With these emails, if you don’t understand the issues behind them, please contact us. We are here to serve YOU and do what we can to improve the business climate in southeastern Wisconsin.
