Cobb Chamber head plots new path - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

erofeyporgrinin.blogspot.com
Lisa A. Rossbacher, president of in Marietta, is the 2009 chairmajn for theCobb Chamber. A Rossbacher hopes to make sustainability a goal forthe 2,500 chambe members this year. “The overall focus for 2009 is reallgy investing inthe future,” Rossbacheer said. Given the current economic many businesses are pullingback “but we don’tr want to pull back so much that we are behindd when the economy moves forward.” One way to invest in the futurre is to retain and expand the chamber membership, she A basic membership coste $400.
Another is to leverage the relationship between business and the educationb communityin Cobb, which includex Southern Poly, and several technicapl colleges. “Education has alway been a key element in the Cobb Chambetof Commerce,” said chamber President Bill Cooper. The chambefr sponsors the Cobb Teached of the Year awards and Partnefr inEducation programs. “Chambers are economidc development engines,” he said. “Without good education, we can’yt have economic development.” Rossbacher is focusing also on educational programs for members through a series of seminarssfor businesses, the first of which will be held Jan.
21 to discusds new labor and employment laws. Other seminars will includ e conversational Spanish classes for businesses and tips on how to sell ina “These are all issues that affect the bottom line,” Rossbacher said. Rossbacher, with her scientifix background — she’s workexd for the U.S. Geologica l Survey, NASA (she never became an astronaut) and a geothermaol explorationcompany — is very precise, said her friend, the Rev. Karenb Evans, rector at St. James Episcopal Churcj in Marietta. Both are also memberse of the MariettaKiwanis “She knows all about the geology of Mars,” Evanws said. “I’ve always founc that fun.
” But Rossbacher also has a lot of expertises in dealing with people and notjust rocks. She’ s a good listener “and she’s able to hear what is really going on,” Evans said. “She’s very good at asking the rightt questions to helpclarify issues.” Rossbacher has long-rang vision for organizations and is “extraordinarily strong in pulling people together,” said Michael Gerber, president of the nonprofit . Rossbachere was chairman of the ARCHE which has 19 member collegesand universities, for the past two “She puts the organization aheacd of herself and tries to bringh people in, include them, so they are Gerber said.
“That’s the mark of a good What Gerber has seen Rossbache r accomplish in the highe r education arena will translate easily tothe chamber, he