Celebrating 28 years ◎ 1995 - 2023
"To serve the community by making Lanesboro Area the best place to visit, live, work and play."
Our Purpose
The Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center is the voice of the Lanesboro area business community, with the purpose to serve as a catalyst for economic vitality by providing advocacy, information and services to its Members AND to promote the City of Lanesboro and Lanesboro Area as a desirable place to visit, live, work and play.
Our Values
Collaboration: The Chamber understands the importance of collaborating and building coalitions. By working together, we can build a better tomorrow.
Culture: We are dedicated in our commitment to improving the health of the business community and the community as a whole, and we see that the two are inextricably linked.
Commitment: We have dedicated ourselves and our work to achieving great things. And we understand this requires a very practical and pragmatic approach to this work.
History & STRUCTURE
The Lanesboro Chamber was established in 1995 as Agriculture, Commerce & Tourism Association (ACT) and renamed in 2002 to The Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center (LACC).
Today, LACC is a 100+ member-based non-profit 501c(6) organization which is open to individual supporting members, non-profit members and businesses through an annual dues investment. Along with looking out for the business needs of our members, the Chamber also operates Visitor Center, ensuring that local businesses benefit from visitors and tourism activities.
Board of Directors and Committees
Except as otherwise provided in the Chamber Bylaws, all executive authority, management, and control of the property, business and activities of the Chamber is delegated to and vested in a Board of Directors. Board structure and terms are specified in the Chamber Bylaws.
The Board of Directors is the policy making body of the Chamber. It represents a broad cross section of the business and professional leadership of the community and is elected by the membership through a nomination process and ratified by the Board. It should be considered an honor to serve on the Board, albeit this is not honorary position.
The Board elects the Executive Committee (BOD Officers). Meeting frequency and specifics of each of the governing boards is outlined in the Chamber’s Bylaws.
LACC Committees, called internally "Talent Teams" are Standing Committees as defined in bylaws (Art. VIII, B.) and are defined annually. Members in good standing are eligible as committee members for the Chamber.
Through committees of volunteers from membership, the Chamber implements and achieves its goals.
The committee serves as the clearinghouse for all suggestions and ideas referred by the officers and the Board of Directors, members and others, concerning priorities which are or should be receiving active attention of the Chamber. Suggestions are reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors. Committees are action oriented under the direction of the Board.
Chamber Funding
The Chamber depends on multiple sources to fund its operations, including:
Membership Dues
95% of the gross proceeds from lodging tax imposed by city ordinance under Subdivision I of 469.190 Minnesota Statute.
Grants from affiliated organizations (such as Explore Minnesota and Dairyland Power)
Print, Web and Co-Op Advertising Opportunities to it's Members
Affiliation with other organizations
LACC maintains partnership with local government, state and county institutions, including city of Lanesboro, city of Whalan, Lanesboro Economic Development Authority; local business groups: Lanesboro Downtown Business Promotion Group and Lanesboro Lodging Group; and is a member of the following organizations:
------------- @ -------------
What is Chamber of Commerce? The Basics (source: ACCE)
Deconstructing Chamber's World. One Piece at a Time (pdf / LACC Awareness Campaign Editorial, Fillmore County Journal, Dec 14, 2020)
Want to know more? Check FAQ's