Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce: serving Apalachicola, St. George Island, and Eastpoint
In its current form, Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce has served businesses and the community since 1945, though the business association has really been around since the 1840’s. Seeing all that the organization offered, Anita Grove embraced her love for non-profits and moved from Tallahassee to accept a position as Executive Director with the Chamber.
The Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce’s mission is essentially to promote a successful business environment for its membership while preserving the area’s culture, history, and natural resources. To achieve the organization’s overarching goals, the Chamber strives to bring the community and business world together. Anita explains that the Chamber receives approximately 1400 inquiries a month from people interested in the area. It is the organization’s job, then, to ensure the best resources and communication tools possible. The website is the main internet source of information on the area, providing knowledge to both visitors and residents about the myriad of opportunities available personally, professionally, and recreationally. The Chamber prides itself on the skilled staff that answers questions over the phone, through email, or in person. Print publications also play a large role in the organization’s message exposure. The Chamber offers a monthly professional newsletter for area businesses, free tourist information packets to appease the perpetual inquiries, and an annual Official Visitors Guide to the Apalachicola Bay area; additionally, the organization often connects with regional and national press to write travel articles and press releases.
Extending past communication tools, the Chamber provides a multitude of networking events to help facilitate the connection between businesses and their publics. Some of these events include monthly business luncheons and bi-monthly business after-hours meetings.
Anita recognizes the many opportunities for businesses to grow and succeed in the Apalachicola Bay area and enjoys the ability to help through all the Chamber’s endeavors. She believes it is the members who get involved and invest in the community’s future that keep the organization working proactively.
By: Lauren Novo, Staff Writer
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