Monday, Jan. 23
January 23, 2012Kate Cleo Cherry Ivey
January 26, 2012
Following a ribbon cutting at a new Morgan City restaurant, St. Mary Parish Chamber of Commerce President Donna Meyer explained that the organization she leads is the result of multiple chambers pooling their resources in the year 2000 to become a consolidated entity.
Transitioning from a career in family services and senior health care, Meyer made her move to the St. Mary Parish Chamber of Commerce in September 2004.
“I’ve learned this is a perfect place for me,” the chamber president said. “I love helping people relocate and get their businesses going.”
Meyer said that the mark of a successful chamber of commerce is the ability to connect with all of the various industries in the area it represents. “You’ve got to show there is value in the chamber,” she said. “We have to work very, very hard to maintain our standing with our members. If they don’t feel there is value there you are going to lose them. That retention is very important.”
The St. Mary Parish Chamber of Commerce is presently working on a networking program for small business. In addition to business relocation and tourism, Meyer said the organization she heads works closely with economic development.
Vocational and technical institutions in an oil-and-gas-highlighted economy like St. Mary Parish are important. The Chamber of Commerce there, in turn, works to connect schools systems and businesses to train young people for a working future.
“With legislative issues, we don’t support one or the other, but we provide legislative forums and provide information and have a group that looks at the issues at hand,” Meyer said. “We have a group that goes to the legislators and talks about the issues that are going on in the parish. There are a lot of things we work on every day that people don’t see.”
With a diverse membership, the St. Mary Parish Chamber of Commerce is providing informational publications to help fund operations. Meyer confirmed that membership involvement is a key to success.
NAME: Donna Meyer
TITLE: President
COMPANY: St. Mary Parish Chamber of Commerce
ESTABLISHED: 2000
ADDRESS: 727 Myrtle St., Morgan City
TELEPHONE: (985) 384-3830
WEBSITE: stmarychamber.com
AGE: 60
EDUCATION: Attended LSU and Southeastern Louisiana University
FAMILY: Married, three children
FIRST JOB: Working at a TG&Y Family Store
GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Establishing the Counseling Center with ChildNet
ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE SELF: Energetic
ADVICE TO OTHERS: You do not know everything, humble yourself and listen
WOMAN IN BUSINESS YOU ADMIRE: Her grandmother, Pearl Forbes, who ran a grocery store and worked in real estate during the 1940s because she was working in business during a time that was not common for a woman to do so.
