Forward Janesville - TheReport - Fourth Quarter 2020

14 • W W W . F O R W A R D J A N E S V I L L E . C O M NAVIGATING COVID-19 TOGETHER by Jenny Tschudy There is no question that 2020 will have a lasting impact on the health and recovery of our community. For decades, Chambers of Commerce have served as economic leaders, working with the business community to craft short- and long-term plans for economic health and prosperity. Today, our job also includes assisting with COVID-19 business preparedness and recovery, and to inspire economic stability and growth. We are tested daily. The challenges emerging from this global healthcare crisis require a great deal of strategic planning, lobbying of our local and state governments for relief efforts and resources, collaborating with city and county representatives for safe re-opening practices, and preparing our members for an impending economic downturn. Forward Janesville, along with our board of directors, recognized the need to pivot in these unsteady economic times and took action organizing alternative ways of creating value to our members: We became a resource for fact-based data, information and education on COVID-19. We utilized resources from the ACCE and U.S. Chamber websites and the WCCE, providing companies with Small Business Administration disaster relief information (www.sba.gov/disaster) , and encouraged our members to connect with their local banking institutions to leverage fi nancial sustainability programs. Education became an even more critical part of our mission during this unusual year. We created a COVID-19 Digest, providing members with consolidated, helpful information in a brief and easy-to-read format. We hosted informative weekly conference calls with local leaders, inviting members and the community opportunity to participate. These calls featured public and private leaders who shared their expertise on current and relevant topics. We advocated at the federal, state and local levels to help our members and partners navigate these unprecedented times. This included closely monitoring federal and state policy and communicating the impact both had on commerce. We proactively forwarded recommendations and feedback from local businesses to help shape future policy. We partnered with the City of Janesville to widely share business safety measures, including social distancing and personal protective equipment (PPE) messaging. Additionally, we provided communication to Janesville residents via direct mail to encourage wearing a mask in public. We partnered with Rock County to roll out its emergency loan fund and with the City of Janesville to promote stability and growth in the business community, Through it all, we strove to lead by example, following government guidelines and implementing them in our own chamber organization. We transitioned one of our largest in-person events to an virtual event. Like many, we embraced digital technology, implementing “social distancing” plans for meetings, leadership functions and day-to-day operations. We postponed in-person events from mid-April 2020 to March 2021 and continue to monitor the situation to assess further action that may need to be taken. We are planning now in anticipation of returning to a “normal” schedule in the predicted spring and fall months. Through it all, we will remain fl exible and ready. It is worth noting once more that our communities and our state are still open for business. We are still creating, building, making, caring and serving. We will continue to work to inform and educate, as we work together to fl atten the curve. Forward Janesville is here to serve and to lead—doing all we can to support our investors, members, partners and community in rebounding quickly. Ultimately, this is how we will save jobs and keep our economy growing. We welcome your input. Together we are stronger.