Executive Summary

The Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (AHCC) is an organization aimed at promoting the economic growth of Hispanic Businesses. The AHCC conducted strategic planning to identify overall goals to better provide for its members, and in doing so increase its membership.

Key areas for improvement were identified. Threat of competition and the lack of member benefits, which makes showing the value of the Chamber’s services and development of new benefits essential. Within the organization, the major weaknesses existed in organizational structure.

The Board members drafted a Mission Statement, a Vision Statement, and a Statement of Core Values. Thereafter, the Board members worked through an exercise to identify what must be strengthened, abandoned or analyzed and finally, the Board members drafted twelve general goals to be addressed by specific committees.

The strategic planning provided Board members valuable insight. First it showed the members the importance of knowing the purpose of the Chamber’s existence. Second, it provided the members with an opportunity to develop strategic initiatives to improve its performance.

AHCC Mission and Vision

The first item of the agenda was to have an open discussion of the mission of the Chamber. Each member was asked to describe the mission in their own words. Members offered several versions giving the Chamber various roles. In reviewing the current mission statement, Board members found that the statement was written as a series of goals and it did not offer a clear definition of the Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s mission. Members of the Board determined that the mission statement of the AHCC needed to be changed.

The Board members broke into three groups, to discuss and develop a new mission statement. Each group presented their version of a mission statement. After discussion, the Board members unanimously voted on the following mission statement:

To promote the economic growth and empowerment of Hispanic businesses.

The Board members then turned to another group exercise to work on a vision statement. Members again presented three versions of a vision statement. Upon discussion, the majority of the members voted on the following vision statement:

To be recognized as a leader and gateway in the development of successful Hispanic businesses.

In another group exercise, the board members identified the core values. The core values form the essence of the Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The core values gives effect to the Mission Statement and it explains what the Board Members of the Chamber of Commerce stand for: PRIDE