By JOSEPH WHALEN

President, CEO

Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce

“T’is the Season” and the Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce has been celebrating in true holiday fashion. Earlier this month, we “rang in” the Christmas and holiday season with our very first annual International Holiday Market. The event,which ran from Thursday, DEc. 10 through Saturday, Dec. 12, mirrored the same holiday market which has taken place for the past several years in Cape Coral and has been hosted by the European Business Council.

I am extremely proud to report that our first Lehigh Acres event was an exceptional one, particularly if you had the opportunity to witness the “Waltzing Waters” performance which took place each of the three nights of our Market.

Special thanks and recognition to Edd Weiner, Cindy Dodd and Vickie Hay who all served as active facilitators for the event. Also, thank you to LACC Chairman Jose Morillo of Lehigh Regional Medical Center who particularly stepped up for the event as well as for all the sponsors and vendors that participated.

The IHM Event Committee has already met to discuss the features of this year’s event which will continue next year as well as those aspects we will improve.

In the meantime, please mark your calendars for next year’s 2010 Lehigh Acres International Holiday Market which will take place during the weekend which includes Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010. The purpose of the program is to recognize those members who give their LACC membership special attention through participation, volunteerism and contribution (PVC). For each PVC, also known as participation, volunteerism, contribution) each member invests, he/she will earn LACC Membership Reward Points which may then be cashed in for a particular service of produce offered by one of our Lehigh Chamber members.

LACC Rewards may range from a free admission to a Business After Hours event to perhaps a complimentary hotel stay at one of our Lehigh Acres Chamber member hotels. Again, details of the LACC-MRP-2010 will soon be announced.

One of the primary benefits of your Lehigh Acres chamber membership is your opportunity to network with an amongst your fellow LACC members. Like most things in life, the value and benefit you receive from your LACC membership is equivalent to the time you invest in the membership.

Most Lehigh Chamber committees meet on a monthly basis for approximately one hour during lunch at a local LACC member restaurant.

If you are interested in learning more about involvement, let us know.

This also seems like the ideal time for me to share my “Lehigh Acres Chamber Credo” for 2010 which is a direct proportion statement and reads: LACC Commitment plus LACC Involvement equals LACC Benefit.

Please free to contact me at 239-369-3322 or JWhalen@lehighacreschambder.org if you ever have any questions or suggestions.