Fellow Chamber members, honored guest, ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce annual dinner and celebration of 125 years of service and commitment.

A hundred and twenty-five years! It is hard to believe that 125 years have passed. I remember back in 1877, when my old friend Julius Gray, then president of the NC Railroad, asked me to come to a meeting with Robert Douglas, a prominent attorney. We met at his Blandwood home to discuss the need for business development that would enhance civic and cultural opportunities for area residents. That was the beginning of the Chamber. We did not know that many of the issues we were facing in 1877 would still be around in 2002.

Through these 125 years the Chamber has built a legacy of caring and responsibility for Greensboro. Old Julius Gray and Robert Douglas would be proud. (Now for my confession, I really was not part of the founding of the Chamber 125 years ago. However, I dare say the members of Greensboro College staff who have covered for me for the last two years may feel like it has been that long. And, I must admit I was a bit taken aback when I was introduced at a Rotary Club as a part-time president of Greensboro College. I must first express my appreciation to the senior staff at Greensboro College for covering my back during these two years.)

The Album of Greensboro, a Chamber publication, wrote in 1891, "The mercantile interests of the city are unified and brought into harmonious and profitable relations by the Chamber of Commerce, which embraces in its membership the leading and influential citizens of the city, whose efforts as an organized body have already been potent in advancing the general welfare of the city and surrounding country." I hope the Chamber can inspire that sort of editorial enthusiasm from the press in the years ahead! This idea of promoting the general welfare of the community reflects what this Chamber has strived to accomplish throughout its rich (and not-so-rich) 125-year history.

This was evident in 1902 when the Chamber founded the Children's Home Society "to provide a home for the child who needs a home and a child for the home which needs a child." It was evident in 1966 when the Chamber hired Hal Sieber to improve race relations within the business community, which ultimately resulted in more than 200 African American Chamber members by 1971, more than any other Chamber in North Carolina.

Today the Chamber continues with this legacy. To be sure we had several years of instability. But things have changed, and as you know, change is a stone is everyone's shoe - but some folks enjoy limping more than others. Ours is a strong, bold new Chamber ready to go to the next level. The past two years were marked by many accomplishments including an expanded State of Our Community luncheon with more than 900 in attendance. We were one of the first Chambers in the country to provide wireless Web access to members. Our organizational structure and effectiveness were confirmed when the National Chamber of Commerce gave us full accreditation. Things do turn out for the best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.

The year 2002 was highlighted by the development of the HubPlus initiative as we prepare for the arrival of the FedEx Mid-Atlantic Hub. HubPlus, along with the Triad Entrepreneurial Initiative, gave the Chamber the opportunity to take the lead in regional issues. In collaboration with Action Greensboro and a host of community volunteers, the Chamber also launched Greensboro Connects, the community's brand image program to help foster community pride and re-energize Greensboro's spirit. Carole Bruce, your Chair-Elect, led a steering committee that developed a comprehensive strategic plan that will serve as a road map for the Chamber over the next three years.

However, the work goes on, and every day we meet new challenges and confront new demands on our time and resources. To be sure, with all this progress there have been nay-sayers. We were often reminded of the old saying, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism." It would be impossible to accomplish all that we wish. Yet tonight I congratulate you for all you have done for the Greensboro Chamber and community at large. I particularly want to congratulate the Chamber staff, whose day-to-day dedication is never ending. This staff has accomplished many exciting goals, but I might add they have not accomplished more than I have been capable of taking credit for.

And I must thank the volunteers. Chamber volunteers have listened to ideas, rejected some and acted on others. As a result, over the last two years, we have had massive increases in membership and perhaps even more important, clear financial stability as a result of revenue growth and solid auditing procedures. I could not have asked for more. I thank all of the Chamber's volunteers and staff for all their hard work, commitment and help over my term of office.

Being selected as Chair can mean any of three things. It can mean that you have outstanding ability, social charm and incomparable organizational skills. Or, it can mean that someone has it in for you … or that nobody else would do the job. While I naturally would like to believe it was number one, I suspect that it was a blend of the last two.

There is no doubt that there is still plenty of work to be done. There is no doubt that we as a community have problems to overcome. Yet despite this, there is an air of optimism and confidence about our community and about the role the Chamber can play in improving the quality of life in Greensboro. Much of that optimism is a direct result of the arrival of our President, David Jameson. He is the mule pulling our plow. He has breathed new life into our programs and brought valuable experience and energy-bunny-like enthusiasm to the work. David, as they say at Greensboro College, "You da man!"

I am reminded of the words of Plato who said, "Being good is the eternal enemy of being the best." That is the goal we have set for the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce. We will not rest until our good becomes better and our better becomes the best.