Our CEO Recaps Chamber Year 2025
Recapping 2025
Legends Gala culminated exciting year, honoring four worthy people and institutions. By highlighting great achievements, the Hudson Chamber also recognizes our community role models.
Honoring our Legends can inspire current and future leaders to contribute meaningfully and pursue their own forms of greatness. This shared recognition reinforces our collective identity and common values and fosters a sense of unity and pride in Hudson County’s heritage and shared principles.
Legends also concludes programming year as we watch the numbers on our collective odometer turn over from 2025 to 2026.
Our 2025 theme has been “Our path to prosperity.” It has been a complicated year, as businesses and nonprofits alike have negotiated many unanticipated twists and turns.
The Hudson Chamber is at our best when we share each other’s burdens and work together so that we can all achieve the prosperity we desire for our families and for ourselves. We have made it to this celebration together.
Throughout the past year, ribbon cuttings have remained my touchstone. I have been deeply moved by the hopes and dreams carried by our community of entrepreneurs and family businesses. Even in a challenging environment, they are willing to go “all in” to build a better future. There is nothing more courageous or inspirational.
2026 will be a year of transitions with new leadership in two of our cities. We will be there to support our new Mayors and administrations so that businesses of all types and sizes can continue to excel. There is no prosperity without our corporations, developers, nonprofits, and businesses of all sizes.
2026 will also be the year we welcome the world, and we are getting ready! FIFA World Cup 26TM promises to be the largest sporting event in human history.
FIFA Fast FestTM will be held right here in Hudson County. It is essential that we continue our work together so that we can put our best foot forward to gain our share of the anticipated $3 billion in economic impact.
Your Chamber will have events, opportunities and even a new magazine to attract attention to our business community. The ad deadline is January 8, so there is still time to join in!
I want to thank our team: Sandra Florent, manager of member experience; Tere Fox, our communications coordinator; and Carol Adams, our bookkeeper. Zach Swetz, who creates our weekly newsletter. We will welcome a new member of the team in 2026.
If you would like to participate in a leadership role, we have many committee opportunities. Please let anyone on our Board or team know.
Thank you all. We couldn’t do it without you together.
Emory