Board of Directors

The 1974 Rolling Stones song “Time Waits for No One” is based on a phrase in The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer, which says “time and tide wait for no man”. The older I get, the more I realize just how true that statement is. Time seems to fly by faster each day, week, month, and year.

And speaking of the passage of time, this year the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce will celebrate its 125^th anniversary. The Tyler Commercial Club, the precursor to today’s Chamber, was founded in 1900 by local business leaders to support economic development and promote Tyler and its businesses. The Tyler Commercial Club became the Tyler Chamber of Commerce in 1918, and the rest as they say, is history. Your Chamber continues to grow and thrive, and I hope you will join us in celebrating this incredible milestone through the rest of this year.

Tyler is a special place, and so is your Chamber of Commerce. The Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce is one of the most active and vibrant Chambers in the nation, with over 2,000 businesses and individuals that all contribute to the prosperity of Tyler and the East Texas region.

This anniversary year is also special because the Chamber is having a membership drive in June. Many of you have participated in prior drives and know what a fun and exciting event this is. Our inaugural membership drive was in 1996, and they get better every time! I hope you will be a part of this great event.

I look forward to working with you during this special year as we implement changes recommended from our strategic plan last year, we continue to attract new businesses and visitors to our area, and we fellowship together at various Chamber events throughout the year, the first event being our annual Economic Update with world renowned economist Dr. Ray Perryman. I look forward to this event each year as Dr. Perryman brings his experience and insight for the local, state, and national economy for the coming year, and he does so with his excellent wit and sense of humor.

I’ll say it again; being a member of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce is like a buffet – you can have as much or as little as you want. YOU determine the value of your membership by your level of involvement. I hope you will take full advantage of all the Chamber opportunities available. The energy and enthusiasm in the air in Tyler right now is palpable, and the Chamber is one of the core elements of that excitement.

Thank you for the opportunity to be your Chamber board chair, and I look forward to serving the community together in 2025.

 

James Sheridan  |  2025 Board Chair