Board of Directors
Letter From the Board Chair
Fall is my favorite season, because it represents a time of transition here in East Texas; the mild temperatures take over after the end of the summer heat, and my favorite sports - high school, college and pro football - “kick off”. Plus, it means we are getting closer to spending time with family and friends as we celebrate the holidays together.
Fall is also a time of transition at your Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, as we begin our new Chamber year each October 1st. I am humbled and honored to be your 2025 Chamber Board Chair, and I am so fortunate to begin my term by following the outstanding example set by my predecessor, Shannon Dacus. This is a special year for the Tyler Chamber. Next June, the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce will celebrate its 125th anniversary. We are blessed to have one of the oldest, largest and most active Chambers in the country!
Along with our 125th anniversary, we have several important goals to accomplish over the next 12 months: we will begin implementing portions of our recently completed long term strategic plan, we will welcome our new Chief Operating Officer, Grant Ingram, and we will have another annual membership drive. Please keep attending Chamber functions and reading the newsletter for more details to follow on each of these goals, and I hope you will work with me to accomplish these goals.
I often say that Chamber membership is like a restaurant buffet; you can have as much or as little as you want. You as a member make the choice about the value of your membership. Are you attending Chamber networking events? Do you have a booth at our annual Business to Business Expo? Are you attending any of our informative, speaker led luncheons? Have you considered volunteering to be on one of our Committees specific to your industry or one that best aligns with the interests of your business? If you answered no to these questions, I encourage to get involved. Be a part of the discussion and planning that is forging the future of the business community here in Tyler through our Chamber.
If you are a member and you are involved, THANK YOU for the time, effort and treasure you contribute to make the Tyler Chamber better, and thus make our entire community better.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me or any of our superb Chamber staff or volunteers to let us know how we may serve you. I look forward to a great Chamber year, and I wish you a happy and prosperous Fall.
James Sheridan | 2025 Board Chair
