Editor’s note: This press release was provided by the Junior League of Pelham.

On Tuesday, November 13th , The Junior League of Pelham (JLP) gathered approximately 30 community leaders to discuss ways to improve communication between businesses, nonprofits, and local residents.

Alice Dean, president of The Manor Club (TMC), opened the evening by giving everyone a brief history of the organization and examples of programs they have hosted. She also noted that TMC is hoping to develop stronger partnerships with Pelham organizations.

To begin the program, Clay Bushong and Amy Cole, both from the Pelham Chamber of Commerce, shared their goals and priorities for the town of Pelham and its businesses.
A theme that emerged repeatedly was the need to improve and streamline the communication of Pelham happenings and events. Both Bushong and Cole shared specific ideas and experiences from their roles within the Chamber of Commerce, as well as the local businesses they run, The Pelham Picture House and Cantina Lobos. Bushong emphasized the key to effective communication is listening carefully to what people want and targeting the message to the specific audiences. Both he and Cole stressed the importance of social media, community events, and partnerships with other businesses and non-profits. The new developments in downtown Pelham will bring exciting opportunities for Pelham’s local businesses.

Next, Brittney Jensen introduced the JLP’s own LovePelham.com domain. The LovePelham.com committee hopes to develop a site that will profile local businesses and non-profit organizations, as well as provide an ongoing calendar of events. The site will also offer information for those residents who are looking for various volunteer and/or community service opportunities.

To conclude the evening, the leaders divided into small groups to discuss where Pelham residents are currently getting their information and what can be done to improve the process and make it more efficient. The discussion was lively and filled with great ideas. Everyone looks forward to seeing them put into action in the coming months.

The Junior League of Pelham would like to thank the community leaders for their participation in the roundtable discussion and The Manor Club for hosting the event.