By Sara Broadwell

We are thrilled to announce the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 annual meeting where, through this year’s theme, “Oswego County Leading the Way,” will spotlight how Oswego County is at the forefront of strategic initiatives with a regional impact.

We invite the community to join us on March 6 at noon at the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center in Oswego for this event, which promises to be an inspiring gathering of business and community leaders, celebrating the vital contributions of small, local and community-focused companies throughout Oswego County. We are proud to have Constellation as our presenting sponsor. We are honored to welcome Oswego County administrator Philip Church as our keynote speaker. As the chief administrative officer and budget officer for the county, Church manages a workforce of more than 1,000 and oversees a $266 million annual budget. His insights into policy and budgetary matters will undoubtedly provide valuable perspectives on our community’s future.

During the event, we will also recognize the outstanding achievements of our members and community leaders with the following awards:

• Small Business Award: celebrates small business owners who excel in customer and employee relations, achieve significant milestones, or make notable contributions to Oswego County.

• Impact Award: honors a nonprofit organization that demonstrates excellence and drives significant positive change in the community.

• Community Investor Award: acknowledges an individual or organization that has made substantial investments and commitments to improving Oswego County’s communities.

• Nancy L. Premo Woman of Distinction Award: celebrates a woman in business whose service has positively impacted the community, in memory of Nancy Premo, CenterState CEO’s late vice president of human resources.

I would also like to acknowledge Taylor Davis, who has recently been promoted to member engagement and operations manager. Her leadership and dedication have been pivotal in driving our community-facing initiatives forward. She has supported the growth of our events and ensured that our farmers’ markets operate at full capacity, serving as vibrant hubs for local commerce and community engagement. She has been instrumental in the expansion and success of Project Bloom, partnering with stakeholders to refresh and update our historic signs, ensuring they are ready to welcome visitors this spring. Her strategic approach and personable nature have led to a steady increase in membership, fostering a strong network of businesses that support and uplift one another. In addition to Taylor’s promotion, we are happy to announce that we have added capacity to our team with a new GOFCC coordinator, Ericka Taylor. Ericka will be working under Taylor to support our daily operations.

As we embark on the year ahead, our focus remains on building connections, fostering collaboration and retaining talent. We will continue to host “Network with Purpose,” a talent and attraction program in partnership with the Oswego County Workforce New York Career Center and Operation Oswego County, supported by local sponsors. This initiative provides new hires and recruits with opportunities to engage with industry and community leaders, showcasing Oswego County as an attractive place to work and live. We look forward to expanding this program regionally across Central New York with the support of CenterState CEO.

We look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting and working together to continue leading the way in Oswego County.

Sara Broadwell is the executive director at the Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce.