Williamson chambers combine for common cause [1]
In a move that's seemingly been historically discussed to the point of exhaustion, Williamson County's chambers of commerce have finally decided to combine their efforts to further spur economic development in an area already known for its prosperity and business opportunity.
The boards of the Brentwood Cool Springs, Greater Cool Springs and Williamson County-Franklin chambers of commerce have voted to approve the unification of all three chambers. The move comes after a unanimous recommendation from a joint task force that last December began studying a possible merger.
This task force included representatives of the three chambers, plus members from the Spring Hill, Nolensville and Fairview chambers. The new single chamber is intended to provide greater opportunities for programming and networking for its members, and to be a stronger voice for economic development. Operating under a new moniker, “One Williamson- One Chamber”, the combined chamber will work to renew the area's strength aided by this unification.
“Creation of a single countywide chamber of commerce is a natural step in the evolution of Williamson County,” said chamber officials in a combined release.
The next step is the formation of a transitional board of directors for the new chamber, the members of which will be announced by Sept. 1. The chambers of Nolensville, Fairview and Spring Hill will remain independent during this process and have been invited to serve on the transitional board. The transitional board's charge is to determine the most efficient ways to combine the programs, operations, leadership and locations of the three existing chambers. No final decisions have yet been made about those issues.