Back in 1989 when I started my role as the Stuart/Martin County Chamber of Commerce CEO, this was a sleepy and seasonal retirement community with a mostly boarded up downtown. It’s wonderful how different things are today!
In these 33 years, we’ve grown into a busy, family-friendly community. The average age of our residents has decreased from 60 years old to 50 years old, and it’s a challenge all year to find a parking space downtown. This boom has fueled a 64% jump in occupational licenses. Many of these entrepreneurs are members of our Chamber of Commerce, and I’ve greatly enjoyed working on your behalf to support your success.
From day one until today, there’s one main complaint I hear from business owners: It’s so hard to find qualified and motivated employees. Now, we have a solution, thanks to the work of our nonprofit Martin Chamber Foundation. I truly believe this is the most significant thing we’ve ever done for Chamber members and the business community overall.
The CareerConnect Martin program matches local businesses with employees who are highly motivated to take their careers to the next level. Our career coaches offer skills training and social resources for these workers to keep them off public assistance programs. At the same time, this initiative provides human resources support and paid interns to businesses with vacancies.
I highly encourage all Martin County businesses to partner with CareerConnect Martin. There are so many benefits to this free program, but best of all is being a part of bringing our economy into the
future!
The Martin Chamber Foundation also oversees a program dear to my heart: the Joseph A. Catrambone Scholarship. This scholarship financially supports individuals ready to learn new skills with trade certification programs. It’s another way our nonprofit is changing lives while helping businesses thrive.
I’m proud to serve as the Board Chairman of the Martin Chamber Foundation. I hope you’ll learn more about the good work the team is doing and sign up to join us today!
Sincerely,
Joseph A. Catrambone
CEO of the Stuart/Martin County Chamber of Commerce
Board Chairman of the Martin Chamber Foundation
