New Lehi Chamber Chairman (Me) Speaks Out!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE          12 January 2006               
Contact: Wells Kempter  801.310.9175

New Lehi Area Chamber Chairman Says Chamber Will Double in 2006

Lehi – The Lehi Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has named Christopher Jones, 37, of Lehi, its Chairman for 2006.  Jones laid out a very aggressive agenda for the Chamber in his inaugural address.  “We are gong to double the size of the Chamber this year,” he said, speaking at the Chamber’s monthly luncheon, held at Thanksgiving Point’s Harvest Restaurant.  Jones replaces Lisa Liddiard, also of Lehi, as Chairman.  Liddiard presided over one of the fastest-growing periods in Chamber history in 2005, where Chamber membership increased almost 25%.

“We are very excited to have Chris as our Chairman for 2006,” said Heather Miller, President of the Chamber.  “Chris brings a lot of energy and good organizational skills, which we need.  He also has a specialty in communications and marketing, which will be very important for us in the coming year.”  Recent announcements of development in Ivory Ridge and Traverse Mountain are expected to mean increases of up to three times the current retail square footage in Lehi in the next five years.

“We are going to substantially boost the community and commercial impact of the Chamber and its members,” Jones said.  “The Chamber has already become a solid force for good in the Lehi, Saratoga Springs, and Eagle Mountain areas, but we can do more.  We will be working closely with the American Fork Chamber and you’ll see a huge impact from the Chambers in all of north Utah County this year.”

Also elected to Board positions were Kris Belcher of Flowers on Main, who became the Chamber’s Vice-Chair, and Lisa Liddiard, who stepped down from the Chair position to become the Board’s Secretary.  Kelly Terry remains the Chamber’s Treasurer.

Jones mentioned that he had recently attended the Eagle Mountain Inaugural Ball and had a chance to speak to Brian Olsen, the incoming Mayor, as well as John Walden, the chief developer of Cedar Valley.  “There is going to be an explosion of commercial activity in the west of Utah County over the next five years.  The Lehi Area Chamber could exit the decade as the largest Chamber of Commerce in the county.  It’s our job as a Board, as a Chamber, to go out and find these new businesses, hook them into the existing economic network, and help them succeed.”

Chris Jones is the Resident Magician of the Chris Jones Group, a real-estate finance and mortgage company.  Resident Magician?  “When you found the company, you can call yourself anything you want,” Jones laughed.  “We are a little different as a company, and we wanted titles that reflected that difference.”  The Group’s motto is “Get a Home for Everyone in the World.  Then Start Over.”  Jones writes a blog at www.thechrisjonesgroup.com that Technorati.com rates as the #1 blog for Utah Housing, and he was recently asked to speak to the State Legislature on real-estate tax issues.

#     #     #