Mission is to "engage, elevate (and) energize" Cleveland County's business community.

Christine Cribb loves what she does and she loves her job as Executive Director of the Cleveland County Chamber of Commerce. You can hear it in her voice as she talks about the Chamber and see it in her face as she tells you about what the Chamber can do to help businesses succeed. And she clearly is good at that job as is evidenced by what has been accomplished in her first year at the helm of the 490-member organization which keeps growing all the time.

Cribb came back to North Carolina a year ago after 20 years in Washington State, literally (as Board Chairman Chris Monroe noted recently) loading up her dog and driving 2,400 miles across the country to come to the foothills of NC to do a job she loves. Monroe describes Cribb as leading the Chamber in "...new, positive and exciting directions as (the) community and region" experience growth as never before.

Monroe noted also to the Board that he has "...never been more confident in Christine" and how she will lead the Chamber in the future.

For her part, Cribb said she wants to inject "great enthusiasm into the community", adding that Chambers of Commerce do what no one else does, which is to offer networking opportunities, education and offer business resources.

"We have launched nine new programs since January of 2022," she said, noting their visitor information center is getting an overhaul, and that the Chamber Visitor Information Center will host an electronic kiosk in two months. There is also to be new signage on the building itself as well as an updated conference room and other changes inside.

Said Ms. Cribb, "The Board of Directors asked me to turn up the volume, while staying in the lane of helping our businesses succeed." She noted they do that by marketing, networking and education to help Cleveland County businesses on their pathway to success.

Cribb said they have averaged about 10 new members a month since January 2022.

"Businesses are excited to be a part of an organization

that works to help them succeed," she said. This is, in part and parcel, because of Cribb and her work ethic as well as who she is and her intense love for the community and what she does.

She is very positive on making a big difference in the Cleveland County business community, which has welcomed her with open arms, she said.

Cribb stressed how hard the Chamber Board, ambassadors, staff and the Chamber overall have worked to - as her business card says - "Engage, Elevate, (and) Energize" her new community.

"We all work with the same mission ethic in mind," she said, adding, "And it's having a ripple effect in the community. Because of that we are watching as people walk in our doors to join the Chamber."

For more information on the Cleveland County Chamber and what it offers, visit their website at www.ClevelandChamber.org, or call them at (704) 487-8521 and ask for Christine!