A 2022 Message From:
Gerry Palon
President, Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce (COFACC)
Happy holidays COFACC Executive Board Team!
It’s hard to believe that 2022 is almost over. With it comes our year-end reflections. There is so much to thank for the countless gifts of partnership and friendship we all have built together over the years in COFACC. Collectively, we are making great progress as we all journey together towards our noble mission. Personally, I am thankful for your individual contributions to COFACC’s success in 2022 as well as from the past years. Every role you perform in the organization carries significant weight, and for that alone, I like to express my deepest gratitude for the unselfish volunteering of your time, talent/s and personal resources all for the benefit of the Fil Am community we all love to serve. Accompanying this year end message is our report of COFACC’s 2022 in Review.
We know for a fact that 2023 will not be an easy ride for most of us given the uncertainties of the environment we all live in today. However, we are confident we can face the hurdles of tomorrow with the clear roadmap that guides our daily path, with the great leadership team and with the great teamwork that prevails within our organization specially when we all work together in our Journey to Excellence.
May you and your loved ones have a wonderful holiday season!
Gerry Palon
COFACC President
2022 In Review
The preceding 2022 brought a significant milestone year for COFACC. Collectively as an organization, we came out from the distress of the 2020 pandemic and became stronger in 2021 and even stronger in 2022. COFACC has grown humbly from a membership base of 4 in 2018, increased to 13 in 2019, then became 16 in 2020 (despite the pandemic), increased to 24 in 2021 and now standing year end 2022 at 34 member organizations. Activity wise and in support of our mission, we managed to conduct 16 major events in 2022 that included nine (9) JES Leadership Training Workshops spread out throughout the year as well as 2 Virtual Mega Mixers, 2 joint Consular Mixers, and 2 virtual educational webinars for the general public. Financially, the organization managed to acquire two (2) grants that more than supported the organization’s entire operational needs in 2022 apart from increased membership renewals.
Our relationship ties with partner chamber and community organization leaders has never been unequivocally strong as in 2022. The comprehensive 8-Week Fast Start Program for StartUp Chambers was successfully pilot tested in one (1) chamber last October 2022. This startup program will be included as a staple supplement to the all year round JES Leadership Training Program of COFACC. Assistance to Chamber leaders in terms of accessing tons of best practices (in pdf files) relating to any aspect of Chamber operations and even recorded video training were made available to member chambers via www.cofacc.org. Direct one-on-one consultations between COFACC corporate leadership team and local Chamber leaders involving Chamber matters were also utilized throughout the year. Formal onboarding sessions in all levels of the Chamber hierarchy are now being institutionalized as a standard operating procedure to ensure higher retention among regular members, board members and even at the level of the Executive Team. This best practice enhances a higher probability of success in achieving a successful succession plan among local partner Chambers.
Lastly, the importance of an efficient flow of communication within COFACC and to the communities it serves have never been more emphasized than in 2022. COFACC Bridge, as a phone App, was launched last 3rd quarter of 2022 which is primarily designed to connect the various partner organizations of COFACC with the entire Fil Am community in the US, in general. COFACC Bridge rollout will continue in 2023 and will ultimately become the future Metaverse of COFACC. The HEXAGON was officially launched in the 2nd quarter of 2022 and now serves as the official E-Newsletter platform of COFACC for all its partner Chambers and community organizations.
Given the environmental outlook for 2023 and after assessing our individual strengths and the opportunities before us, the future looks bright for COFACC and to all our partner organizations. As long as we stay aligned and committed to our stated mission and goal of “Going for the Gold”, there is no reason why 2023 will not be another record breaking milestone for all of us. Good luck COFACC Team!
