LBCCC Names New President

A note from the chamber board chair:

I am pleased to announce that Dan Bates has accepted the permanent position of President of the Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce. Dan has been acting president of the Chamber since February 2012. During that time, Dan has worked tirelessly to execute new initiatives to further the Chamber mission while promoting the organization as a leader in business and economic development in the region.

When Dan took on the interim role of President in February of 2012, the intent was for him to lead the organization through a short transition period during which time a search for a permanent president was being implemented. At the time, we were delighted that Dan postponed a move out of the area to take on this role. As a former Chair of the Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce, and an active business owner in Bucks County, the Board of Directors believed that Dan was uniquely prepared to help guide the organization during the transition.

Dan's vision and commitment to the Chamber mission and values has had immediate and transformational impact. Under Dan's leadership, the committee structure and internal staff were realigned to promote involvement and innovation in delivering services to members. Dan worked with his staff and the Board to create a budget and financial reports that has led to improved decisions and on-budget financial performance. Every program that we have conducted over the past five months has met or exceeded the expectations for participation, value and on-budget performance. Most importantly, member retention has exceeded expectations. This is the one metric that measures how well we deliver value to our members.

Also, under Dan's leadership, the Chamber has upgraded technology in all aspects of our organization - including e-mails, social media, membership management, sound system, telephone system and use of technology in our McCafferty Auto Group Board Room. Dan and his staff have added partnership events which allow members to offer special events in order to introduce their businesses to our community. Dan has advocated for the addition of roundtables for like-minded business owners to meet and discuss issues that are important to them. Dan also sits on our newly formed Chair of the Board Circle (COB Circle) to work on special projects which take advantage of the expertise and passion of this group.

With a passion for lifelong learning and building leaders of the future, Dan encouraged the involvement of high school students so that they appreciate the role that a chamber plays in the community. This partnership ensures that the next generation of business leaders knows the value of the Chamber first-hand. Dan has also reached out to assist Veterans to connect with the business community to help them develop, grow and find employment.

We are delighted that Dan has decided to accept the permanent position of President of the Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce. Critical to his decision to take on this long-term commitment was the realization that the work as the President of the Chamber was not only personally fulfilling but professionally a perfect fit for Dan's background, knowledge of the Bucks County community, organizational and leadership skills and action orientation.

Personally, I have enjoyed working with Dan. His enthusiasm and creativity is infectious. His ability to get things done is energizing and his passion for the business community is inspiring. Please join me in congratulating Dan on this new appointment. Like this announcement on Facebook and share it on your Facebook Page, LinkedIn and Twitter #LBCCC. Help us spread the word and give Dan a warm welcome.

Here's to Dan's Success as President!

Susan Rosner

Chair of the Lower Bucks Chamber

Managing Partner, Calder Associates of Pennsylvania