Macon Magazine

APRIL/MAY 2016 69 Government Affairs The Chamber represents "The Voice of Business" to our elected officials locally in the Macon-Bibb government, in the Georgia General Assembly and in Washington, DC. Throughout the year, various programs are offered to the membership that includes current topics of interest within the government affairs world. In 2015, the Chamber hosted the first "Legislative Review" in Macon as a wrap-up of the legislative session that had just ended. The eight members of the Middle Georgia delegation each gave a brief summation of the session to over 200 members who attended. Honoring the group with a special presentation was Georgia's Lieutenant Governor, Casey Cagle, who talked with excitement about all of the great things going on in Georgia and especially in Macon-Bibb County. Small Business Development and Growth is always a priority for the Chamber as 58% of Chamber members have nine or less employees. The main things small business owners ask for are ways to promote their business, networking with other businesses, and affordable ongoing training and development to help them grow their business. During the year, the Chamber offered nearly 80 different opportunities for small businesses to meet, mix, mingle and promote their business. To help with training and professional development, a special section was created on the Chamber website dedicated to helping our Small Business members with classes and seminars targeted to the small business owner/manager. Also, the Chamber, in partnership with SCORE and NewTown Macon started the Entrepreneur's Academy, a program designed to help the novice business owner navigate the various hurdles of starting and growing a business. The Chamber also promoted Small Business Saturday, held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving every year, which helps promote shopping at the small retail stores in your local community. Lt. Governor Casey Cagle Advocating for All Business Military Affairs The Chamber's Military Affairs Committee continues to advocate for Robins Air Force Base on many levels. As RAFB is the largest employer in the state of Georgia, it is imperative that our Chamber has a continuous presence in supporting the ongoing missions located at the base. In addition to the normal involvement of the Macon Chamber's Military Affairs Committee, Vice Chair John Hall also served as the Chair of the Middle Georgia Military Affairs Committee during 2015. John Hall, Vice Chair of Military Affairs, Sgt. Dustin Treece, Col. Jeffrey King, CMSgt. Steven Trotter Macon Chamber Member Segmentation by Number of Employees

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