Chamber responds to letter on ALCO

To the editor:

The St. Cloud Greater Osceola Chamber of Commerce, an organization committed to improving the economy of the community, has done just this by partnering with ALCO, Adult Learning Center Osceola, a Chamber member and a part of the Osceola County School District.

It is unfortunate that Mr./Ms. L. Ameden did not accept the invitation to the Business After Hours hosted by ALCO as so many of the concerns you raised would have been explained.

You correctly referred to this evening as a networking event. Every Business After Hours is intended as a business networking event, business people meeting and contacting other business people. It also provides an opportunity to the host business to address the assembled business members about the unique offerings, services and opportunities it presents to business people, organizations and the community, which help to advance its message and encourage future contact.

At this recent evening event, the message of ALCO was most effectively delivered by Director Tom Runnels, who was given time to address the assembled business people. This is part of the evening’s networking, with the host receiving the spotlight.

Those in attendance also learned that the Adult Learning Center Osceola is committed to supporting adults who wish to improve their education. In addition, ALCO is charged with a function to provide specific training needs for businesses in Osceola County, tailored training designed to help the business client. This is especially critical in the efforts of our economic development departments and the new St. Cloud Incubator to attract new businesses to the county by being able to deliver a trained workforce to meet these companies’ needs for a specialized skilled workforce. In its relationship with the St. Cloud Greater Osceola Chamber, ALCO has been in discussion regarding training programs for chamber members, to prepare chamber business people with working Spanish language skills and enhanced computer skills.

For its part, the chamber offers one of the few scholarship programs through its Education Committee for adults 25 years old or older. These scholarships apply to short-term courses, certification programs, degree courses — any training that will help the recipient raise his/her earning power, which puts more money into the local community’s money-circulation supply. ALCO is a prime candidate to receive help for its students through this program.

A few brief clarifications to your letter to the editor. The chamber is the St. Cloud Greater Osceola Chamber of Commerce, representing businesses in Kissimmee and Orlando as well as St. Cloud. I wish you had been able to attend. We enjoyed bottled ice water and a light food offering appropriate for the evening — not exactly a lavish wine-and-dine spread. The other clarification goes to your confusion over the amount spent by ALCO. The total spent by ALCO was less than $500, the largest part of this was the hosting fee paid to the chamber, all of which is spent on printing, postage and publication costs. The chamber has many other costs associated with Business After Hours, including newspaper coverage and staff time, which results in a loss to the Chamber. The chamber considers these activities a service investment for members and especially the member host.

Was this a legitimate expenditure, less than $500, on the part of ALCO to deliver its message to an audience of business people who will use their services and refer others? Are there a number of business people who now know that the mission and scope of ALCO far exceeds the servicing of those seeking a high school diploma? Are there business people considering ways ALCO can help them achieve a better skilled workforce that will grow their business? Are there business people open to participate in chamber-sponsored training activities using the services of ALCO?

I believe the answer to each of these questions is a resounding yes.

David Lane
President St. Cloud Greater Osceola Chamber of Commerce