How do you put a price on things you can’t see right at the moment? How do you assess that value? If you can’t see it or feel it or hear it, how do you know it is even real? We are used to tangibility... seeing or hearing the reward. However, we have to believe that in some instances the payoff will come in the future, and know that sometimes things may or may not work out the way we had hoped. Sometimes we risk knowing we may never see a return on that investment, but sometimes the payoff is bigger than we could have imagined.
 
We can do all the research, check the past, and look at future economic trends, but still there is a risk. Even when you buy a product that you can touch and see there is a risk. Look at the number of recalls we have experienced over the years from ground beef to cars. Risk is just a part of life. You try to minimize your risk and at the same time prepare for the future.
 
For the past ten years the Chamber has made significant investments in our youth by donating time and influence, preparing our future workforce through programs like the 8th Grade Reality Day with Pulaski 4H and VT Extension, the Youth Excel Program for 11th graders, and for the last five years Manufacturing Day. We have invested time in these programs not knowing the payoff. It was a risk because these are all non-sponsored programs and we draw “volunteer time” from our membership to ensure that we were reaching and giving our Pulaski County students the attention they deserve.
Year after year our members have given of their time to help create the workforce of tomorrow. They don’t ask to be paid; they volunteer because they believe they can make a difference. They do it for something that isn’t tangible. It is for that thrill of seeing a kid do something amazing like paying a friend’s debt off during 8th Grade Reality Day, getting a job through connections made in 11th Youth Excel Program, or realizing that they can stay in Pulaski County and work for one of our 7 international companies or other local businesses. Those are the moments you can’t put a price on and those are the reasons our businesses and industries continue to invest their time working with the schools in Pulaski County. Pulaski is a great place to live and we have a lot to be proud of! 
 
Leadership is intangible, and therefore no weapon ever designed can replace it. ~Omar N. Bradley
 
Work hard, be productive, and above all else stay positive.
 
Peggy White
Executive Director
Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce
peggywhite@pulaskichamber.info