SEPTEMBER PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE As we roll into the fall season and look summer in the rearview mirror, I want to express my thanks to the Rexburg community for the support given to this year's International Dance & Music Festival. Ticket sales for the performances INCREASED dramatically and participation at all the events surpassed recent years. Once again host families did an awesome job and especially those who were asked to help provide for the unique needs of the team from Egypt. Thanks also to the Chamber Festival committee, to Donna Benfield and the Chamber staff as well as our festival sponsors. Although the financial figures have not been finalized as of this writing, it appears the event will provide much needed funds for the Chamber to continue to offer the services that our local businesses, residents and visitors have come to expect. I also want to express thanks to Mike Bruton and his Les Schwab store who along with Kristy Geisler of the Standard Journal newspaper for coming together to resurrect the Chamber's printed newsletter. Through Les Schwab's financial support, the newsletter will be published on a quarterly basis and distributed to paid subscribers of the Standard Journal. Although the newsletter is on the internet monthly via the Chamber's website, this additional circulation of a printed quarterly version will give the Chamber even greater exposure in Madison & Fremont counties, especially to local residents and businesses that have not as yet joined the Chamber. As most of us in the business community have experienced, 2010 has been a challenging year but I am pleased to report that BYU-Idaho has announced the expansion of their fulltime student enrollments from over 11,000 students to 12,500 for this fall semester which once again provides an economic lift to our area. This student enrollment increase is on-track toward the goal announced by President Kim Clark of expanding fulltime student enrollment to 15,000 per semester by 2015. What a tremendous boost the University and its students provide to Rexburg area businesses'¦an even greater boost with 1000 MORE students this fall than previously. Even if your business is not directly involved with providing products and services to students, the fact that over 12,500 new residents are shopping and living in Rexburg during the next 4 months adds tremendously to our community's economic base. Let's make it our goal as a business community to make these University students feel welcome in our stores and shops as well as doing all we can to provide for their needs. The more of their dollars that can be kept in the Rexburg area, rather than being spent in Idaho Falls or Salt Lake, the better it is for our local economy; our ENTIRE economy. It is my pleasure to serve you as this year's Chamber President and I encourage all of you to shop at home for a better Rexburg. Have a great fall season!
