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The overall goal for new Fairfield Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Kert Radel is simple: grow the chamber and allow it to work for the members.

Born in Greenhills, the 55-year-old Fairfield resident and former WMOH 1450 AM general manager hasn't been on the job a month and is already putting in long hours to achieve the goals, and starting the job at the city's July 3 Red, White and Kaboom celebration — four days before his start date.

Q: Under your leadership, what are the overall goals for the chamber?

A: "One of the goals, of course, is to retain our membership and also develop new members. That's a primary goal because the fact is without a strong base it's going to be difficult to operate. And we want to be able to show our members what we can do for them.

Another goal is to make the chamber as relevant to the needs of a client as possible, or a member as possible. For example, this afternoon (Monday, July 28), I was with someone who was a wholesaler and doesn't do a lot of retail business so I'm asking him what can we do to better serve you. I told him about some of the programs we're looking to implement and he says, 'Hey that works for me.'"

Q: What are some of the programs you want to implement?

A: One of the programs I want to do, and I'm already offering is free marketing for the membership. Often times, you'll find people have to go to an agency and they'll get expertise from the agency, and that's fine, and they can place the buys for them. But that's not what I'm going to be doing. What I can offer because I've worked in radio, TV advertising, worked for a publishing company, understand print, that I can actually go to a member of the chamber and help them with their marketing. I'm not going to tell them, 'This is bad. This is good,' or what ever else. Just like today, this particular person, maybe you can't afford to buy 20 radio commercials a week, but you'll be able to find one of these 'how to' programs that are on the radio and that will fit your needs. You'll hit the target audience you're going after and you're not spending as much bucks. Or if you're doing some advertising on the radio and you're going to have a radio remote, why not promote that in the newspaper? You're enhancing both of them. You're making them both work for you. That's one of the things this chamber is offering as of now as a free benefit. I will come to talk to any member on how to market.

Q: What are some short-term goals?

A: I have to get to as many current members as possible so that they know that we care about them and they know they are valuable members of the chamber. Secondly is to increase the membership. In doing so, you have spokes off of that. That means some changes in the newsletter, some changes on our Web site so that they will be more valued. There will be more pictures in the newsletter, there's going to be more member spotlights. Those things, so they are going to be directly relating to them, it's going to help them. On the Web site, we're going to be doing other things as well, where it's going to be user friendly. If you look at our front page now, it's just wasted real estate. And that's just the short term. And this is not criticism of the past, it's just trying to go to the next stage. The difference here is we're treating the chamber as a business. It's not a club or organization, it's a business.

Q: What are some long-term goals?

A: Long range is to listen to the membership and see what we can do in presenting programs, workshops, special one-day events that make it where (the members) feel it's going to be beneficial. I've done a lot of those type of events where it could be one day. But where I also want to go is developing workshops. Workshops that can benefit the members. Workshops for women. Workshops for the business community. What is going to work for you, what's important for your business? I don't know every business, I don't know what's out there. I have to find out how can we help you in this tight economy? What can we do for you?

Q: What about staff? Do you see a long-term range of expanding the staff?

A: We would like to expand the staff. We're just trying to see if we for right now work smarter. I'm going through the member list and I'm calling as many members, and my goal is to call every member. And another part of this office is we have to be more visible, and I'm not a shy guy. I don't look at the clock. I get here at 10 till 7 in the morning and I finish whenever I finish. I've told clients, I've told members if you can't see me during regular business hours, I'll see you at 7 o'clock at night, I'll see you 6 o'clock in the morning. I'll see you on Saturday. Another important goal is Fairfield Twp. My goal is to embrace Fairfield Twp. and to embrace as to be part of the Fairfield chamber.

Q: What are some of the areas of improvement for the Chamber?

A: Areas of improvement are personal contact with members. It's not a knock on what was happening before but it's because I bring sales experience. I bring sales experience in working with members or clients on a one-on-one bases, so therefore you're going to see me out there. That's one thing that needs to be improved, we need to be able to talk with them and they say, 'Hey. Fairfield chamber is important. We need to be part of that Fairfield chamber.'

That's why I'm going to the members and saying, 'If you've got some needs then tell me. We're going to address those needs.' If it's beyond the scope I can do, I'll tell them it's beyond my scope.

If you have a complaint about the city, if you have a complaint about the county, the state, business people are too busy to try and make six or eight phone calls to try to figure out who to talk to. I've had conversations with (Fairfield City Manager) Art (Pizzano), with (Development Services Director) Tim (Bachman) and (Economic Development Manager) Greg (Kathman) at the city, (Butler County Commissioner) Courtney (Combs) knows a little bit about this. I'm going to be the first step. If someone has a questions, or they have a complaint, come to me, I'll go and get an answer. You may not like the answer, but I'll get the answer for you.

Q: What is your impression of the business community in Fairfield and Fairfield Twp.?

A: What I like is the progressiveness. I like the combination. I think Fairfield has so much to offer because you have your bigger chain establishments, your chain stores and businesses, that are run right. You also have a lot of the direct business to business. You could say the mom and pop operations, but you have that. People have been here for a long time. You have a combination of businesses that are not dying on the vine, they're not having store fronts that are ugly. That is a big, big plus. And for Fairfield Twp., it is such new territory. There is so much there they can grow from, and they are doing a great job now. Look at it a couple of years ago, it was nothing. Now look at where Fairfield Twp. is.

Q: Many businesses in Fairfield Twp. have identified themselves as in "East Hamilton." How do you plan to correct this notion?

A: A lot of that is education. It's telling people and getting the word to them. If you have a couple that moves in and they don't have children and they see the zip code, OK, we're in East Hamilton. We're not the Fairfield City Chamber of Commerce. Were the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce, which means we are the city of Fairfield, we're Fairfield Twp. The beauty of the chamber is the chambers are not supposed to infringe upon other's territory. You'll never see me go to a Hamilton business, knock on the door and say, 'Come to the chamber of commerce.' My first question is, if a Hamilton business calls me, "Are you a member of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.'

To contact the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce, call (513) 881-5500 or visit FairfieldChamber.com.

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5112 or mpitman@coxohio.com.