When area business leaders gather for the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting tonight, they’ll hear that the community fared reasonably well during tough economic times.

Outgoing chamber chairwoman Ann Gardner, editorial page editor of the Journal-World, said the city did not see lots of new business investment or jobs during the past year but held its own nonetheless.

The annual Progress Edition special section can be found in today's Journal-World.

“I don’t think we’ve backed up much,” Gardner said. “My sense is that, like every community in the country, there hasn’t been a lot of new investment going on, but that doesn’t mean the businesses that are here aren’t strong.”

Chamber President Bill Sepic said the chamber’s business activity is probably a good indicator of how the community has fared as a whole. The chamber’s membership held steady at 1,300 members. Sepic said the organization started the year hoping for growth in membership but ended it fearing membership losses after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“The chamber came out of Sept. 11 with the same fears and jitters that everybody else did,” Sepic said. “Our success is dependent on the success of other businesses in Lawrence, so we were worried.

“But I think we came out of Sept. 11 very strong, and I think that is an indication of what happened in the community.”

Incoming chamber chairman Kelvin Heck has said the organization’s top priority during his one-year term will be economic development.

	2002 Progress Edition

Sepic said he was optimistic the community would see success in that arena in 2002, including the hiring of a new director of economic development to replace Debi Moore, who resigned in February for health reasons.

“We have some opportunities to do some things in economic development that are very exciting,” Sepic said. “It will include hiring a new top-notch vice president of economic development.

“We know we have lost a few jobs in town, but we still have a net increase when you look back over the past several years, and we have lots of available office space to fill in this community, which I think represents a huge opportunity. I think we have a good year in front of us.”

The chamber will have its annual meeting beginning with a social hour at 6 p.m. today at the Lawrence Holidome, 200 McDonald Drive. The event is open only to chamber members, and reservations are required.

In addition to installing a new chairman, the group will give several awards, including the Wally Galluzzi Chamber Volunteer Award, the Buford M. Watson Jr. Public Service Award, and the Citizen of the Years Award. Award winners are profiled in a special Progress Edition inside today’s newspaper.