New Year, New Chamber
What’s Ahead for 2026 (and Why We’re So Excited)
If you’ve been watching the Chamber lately, you’ve probably felt it too: there’s a new energy in the air. A little more momentum. A little more “let’s do this.” And as we step into 2026, I want you to know exactly where that’s coming from and what that means.
This is a New Year, New Chamber chapter for the Twain Harte Area Chamber of Commerce and for the communities we serve along the Highway 108 corridor. We’re building on our strengths and successes, while learning from our fails to make smart changes that help us show up better for local businesses, our partner nonprofits, and the people who love this place, residents and visitors alike.
A Clearer Membership Promise (Without Closing the Door)
First, I want to talk about something important and do it in a way that feels true to our values.
The Chamber exists to serve the whole community, and that will never change. We will always encourage full participation from all businesses and organizations in our area, whether you’re a member today, still deciding, or wrote us off a long time ago.
But we’re also making a shift we believe is necessary and fair. Membership isn’t just a fee, it’s an investment that fuels everything we do: advocacy, events, promotion, resources, and the volunteer-powered work behind the scenes. When members carry that load, it’s only right that membership comes with meaningful priority.
So this year, we will keep welcoming everyone into the conversation, but we will prioritize members in the ways that matter: visibility, promotional opportunities, access to certain benefits, and the “first in line” advantages that make joining the Chamber a clear value.
Does that mean if you’re not a member that we don’t care about you and your success? Absolutely not and it never will. But, to borrow from American Express, membership has its privileges. We’re leaning back into that this year.
If you’ve been considering membership but haven’t committed yet, I’ll say this plainly: 2026 is the year it will matter more, and we’re going to make sure all our members feel that difference in real, practical ways.
Times are tough, and we get that belts are tighter than ever… ours are, too. We understand that even a $100 membership fee can feel like a lot. That’s why this is the year that we lean into demonstrating the 10x ROI businesses and makers should expect from their membership dues.
“Embrace the Local.” is More Than a Motto
The new year also marks the beginning of a brand refresh centered around our governing mantra: Embrace the Local.
Here’s what that means to us:
Choosing local businesses first, because that keeps opportunity close to home
Celebrating the people who make our towns feel like towns, not just stops on a map
Creating connections and events that build pride, welcome everyone, and strengthen community
Advocating for local businesses so they aren’t navigating challenges alone
In short: Embrace the Local. is a mindset. It’s how we shop, how we show up, and how we build the kind of community we want to live in.
And we’re backing that mindset with a new look and feel. We’re launching a refreshed logo and a brand-new website that we can proudly wear as the “front door” to our Chamber and our local business community. We’ll be digging into both at our first 2026 board meeting next Thursday, and I can’t wait for you to see what’s coming. Psst! You’re on our new website right now. Go ahead, kick the tires.
A Few Event Teasers (The Wheels Are Turning)
We also have some exciting event ideas in the works. Nothing is final yet, but the planning energy is real, and we wanted you to hear what’s taking shape early.
A Mother’s Day celebration to honor the moms who hold our families, our businesses, and our communities together
A series of events connected to the return of the Sierra Bigfoot Music Festival, leaning into our local history, creativity, and mountain-town pride during the week of the festival… and maybe even one or two of us wandering around town in a Bigfoot costume (Elf-on-a-Shelf, anyone?).
These are still in the “building it thoughtfully” phase, but consider this your teaser trailer.
And we’re applying lessons learned from 2025 to all our returning events this year. We’re not perfect and we’ve made mistakes, big and small. But, we’ve listened to you and we’re using those insights to make the necessary improvements to ensure the events we produce provide meaningful benefit to our businesses and communities.
Stronger Leadership, Stronger Advocacy, Stronger Partnerships
Next, we’re stepping into 2026 with a new board leadership team that’s dedicated to continuing the trajectory we’ve all been proud to watch: a Chamber that’s more organized, more visible, more useful, and more connected.
This is the year we put the Area back into Twain Harte Area Chamber of Commerce. Twain Harte is right there in the name, and will always be an anchor for us, but we’re re-committing to showing up for businesses, residents, and visitors from “Soulsbybille to Strawberry to the Pass”.
You’ll see us becoming more engaged as an advocate for businesses all along the Highway 108 corridor with local government and our community partners, because the Chamber should be a steady, credible voice at the table, especially when decisions impact how local businesses operate and grow. We will continue to advocate for our business community as a whole, showing favor not for any one business but for all businesses. And, as we continue to grow our membership that unified voice will only become stronger.
And you’ll also see us using our partnerships with media outlets (radio, print, and more), other Chambers, and area organizations in a way that creates real value, not just for the Twain Harte Area Chamber, but as a pass-through benefit to our members. If we’re earning promotional opportunities, we want those opportunities flowing directly to the businesses we represent.
Our job isn’t to hog the limelight, it’s to make sure it’s shining on you.
A More Welcoming (and More Accessible) Board Meeting
Last but not least, our monthly board meetings have a new home and a new time.
We’ve moved our meetings to the Twain Harte Community Center so we can comfortably welcome more attendees, more voices, and more community participation. We’ve also shifted the meeting time to 10am on the third Thursday of every month.
That said, we’re not treating this like it’s carved into granite. Part of the New Chamber is being flexible and adaptable. We’re trying this schedule because we believe it can work for more people, but we also want feedback. If another time would better serve business owners, employees, residents, or volunteers, we want to hear it. Our goal is simple: make it easier to participate.
Believe it or not, our meetings are not just another boring hour where we drone through an agenda with a glass of wine in hand. Our meetings are where we make decisions, they’re where we roll up our sleeves and get sh*t done. Our members should expect to have a voice – the most important voice – in our decision making and we will move mountains to make that happen.
Looking Forward
We’ve got a lot on our plate this year, and if you made it this far into the roadmap, I appreciate your dedication.
I’m optimistic about what we’re building, not because everything will be perfect (it won’t), but because our direction is clear and our commitment to New Year, New Chamber couldn’t be stronger.
We’re choosing better structure, better communication, and better follow-through. We’re investing in a brand that reflects who we are and who we’re becoming. And we’re making membership mean something, while still keeping our door open to everyone who cares about local success.
And we have the team in place to make it all happen. I couldn’t be prouder of our Leadership Team, our Board of Directors, and our volunteers. That’s not just lip service. I genuinely believe we have exactly the people we need in place to execute our vision and I am excited to lead us into 2026.
It will always be about and for you
To our members: thank you. Your support is not taken for granted, and we’re committed to earning it with action and results.
To the businesses and community members who have been considering membership: we see you, and we’d love to welcome you in. If you’ve been waiting for the right time, let this be your sign.
To the folks who may have counted us out in the past: this is the year we earn back your trust. The Chamber is moving forward and there’s a place for you in what we’re building next.
Here’s to 2026.
Let’s Embrace the Local.
My best, always,
~Glen
