“Together, We Succeed.” Statement from the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce President & CEO and Board Chair
The Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce has a sad heart for George Floyd and his family, and we will not forget the senseless abuse of power that took his life as well as similar instances of impropriety and misconduct around the country. We offer condolences to his family and words of hope to the community.
As an organization, our mission statement is “Together, we champion economic and community prosperity.” Together was purposefully chosen as the first word, and it’s really important because it means everybody. It’s not us and they; it’s we. What follows in the mission statement is “We champion economic and community prosperity.” We were purposeful in those words. We believe that economic prosperity and community prosperity should be intrinsically linked, and we are committed as an organization to be a champion for this common cause. Racial discrimination, intolerance and social injustice drive a wedge between economic and community prosperity. We will not allow these divisive traits to create an obstacle for our organization achieving its mission. Our goal is to bring everyone together to make our community the best that it can be.
We absolutely respect what we believe is a basic right that is ingrained in the fabric of our nation — the right to protest. Peaceful protests are an essential form of raising consciousness and starting a dialogue that leads to a common understanding. Thank you to all those who love our city and are engaged in our community. I have absolute trust in the citizens of greater Arlington. We will actively listen to each other and hear the plight of our fellow Americans. Together, we are stronger, and we will persevere. Together, We Succeed.