Ballesteros sees a stronger chamber in Bangor's future
Photo/Courtesy Bangor Region Chamber
Michael Ballesteros, the new chair of the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce board of directors
As the new chairman of the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce board of directors, Michael Ballesteros says his focus over the next year will be to make the organization more visible in the community and more responsive to the needs of its business members during some of the most challenging economic times many of them have had to endure.
Ballesteros took over the year-long post this month from John Diamond, under whose leadership the board reexamined the chamber's disordered finances, forced the departure of its longtime president and recently hired a new president and CEO, John Porter, who is expected to assume his duties Jan. 25.
Although the past year presented its share of difficulties for the board, the significant changes that grew out of them should help the chamber become a more effective advocate for its 770 or so current business members while also adding new ones to its rolls, Ballesteros says.
"My hope is that we can increase our membership by at least four a month," says Ballesteros, who also serves on the board of the Bangor Regional Development Alliance and is the dean of Development and Business Services at the Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor.
But he admits that reaching such a goal will only be possible if the chamber is able to prove its worth to business owners looking for all the help they can get right now.
"We're going to have to be of greater value to our members, to provide more outreach to them and better advocate for their concerns," he says. "It's critical that we understand the issues that affect them and bring together the resources that could help them. One of the biggest concerns we hear from members is how, with slumping sales and not as much demand for their products and services as they would like, they can tighten their belts and weather the storm so they'll be in a good position when the economy turns around."
Ballesteros believes that social networking technology could be one of the most effective tools to get more business owners to talk with one another about their common concerns as well as to increase the chamber's profile. The chamber is already using an e-mail marketing service called Constant Contact so it can connect with its members in real time. It's also in the process of setting up Facebook and Twitter accounts to serve as clearinghouses for information about issues like loan availability, businesses counseling and workplace employee training programs.
"What we're trying to do is to make sure that we can make connections electronically so that people don't have to wait when they need answers," Ballesteros says. "We can act as a conduit to put people in touch with the resources that can make a business more effective."
Although he knows that not all small business owners in the region will feel comfortable at first with the new technology, he's confident that they'll eventually recognize its value.
"They may be forced to use it simply because their clients and customers use it," Ballesteros says. "I know people will take advantage of the opportunities when they become available. Years ago many people didn't use e-mail, either, and now businesses can't get by without it."
Ballesteros says Porter's extensive media experience -- he worked for a decade as the editorial page editor of the Portland Press Herald -- should serve the chamber well as it continues to weigh options for a new auditorium/arena in Bangor that's in the works.
"Considering its economic assets, an arena is a must," he says. "The chamber would like to be able to convene groups of people in the region -- legislators, city and town officials and the like -- so we can facilitate a plan that could finally make it happen. They key is to come together and share ideas, and John's ability to communicate is exactly what the chamber needs right now."
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