The year has gone quickly - we’re nearly one month away from celebrating our 111th Annual Meeting of Membership! It seems like yesterday we were celebrating our 110th anniversary last June.

I would like to invite all of you once again to join us at Navy Pier on June 9 for one of the region’s most influential networking events. The Annual Meeting has an exciting lineup of speakers and announcements this year. Governor Bruce Rauner will join us and serve as the keynote speaker, discussing how he plans to work with Chicago’s business community to make Illinois the most competitive state in the nation. Joseph Hinrichs, Executive Vice President and President of the Americas for Ford Motor Company, will deliver a special announcement during the event as well.

We will also be announcing winner of the 2015 James Tyree Emerging Leadership Award, which was narrowed down to 12 finalists last week. This year’s field features some of Chicago’s most talented, innovative small business leaders, and we’re very excited about helping the winner become a pillar of Chicago’s business community for years to come.

Another highlight of the 111th Annual Meeting: we’re going to showcase the Chamber’s new mission statement, brand and logo for the first time.

At the same time the Chamber is rolling out a new brand and vision, Governor Rauner is working to put Illinois on a new path toward competitiveness. It’s a great time to live and work in Chicago, and we are energized about the future of our city, state and region.

Join Chicagoland’s top business network for one of the most action-packed mornings of the year.

Click here to learn more and register for the event. I look forward to seeing you there.