Cobb Chamber head plots new path - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Lisa A. Rossbacher, president of in Marietta, is the 2009 chairmab for the Cobb Chamber. A geologist, Rossbacher hopes to make sustainability a goal forthe 2,500 chambe r members this year. “The overall focux for 2009 is really investinv inthe future,” Rossbacher said. Give the current economic climate, many businesses are pullinb back “but we don’t want to pull back so much that we are behincd when the economymoves forward.” One way to inves t in the future is to retain and expandr the chamber membership, she A basic membership costs $400.
Another is to leverage the relationship between business and the educationj communityin Cobb, which includews Southern Poly, and several technical colleges. “Education has alwayx been a key element in the Cobb Chambeof Commerce,” said chamberf President Bill Cooper. The chamber sponsors the Cobb Teacher of the Year awardz and Partner inEducation “Chambers are economic development engines,” he said. “Withoutt good education, we can’t have economidc development.” Rossbacher is focusing also on educational programs for members througn a series of seminars for the first of which will beheld Jan.
21 to discusz new labor and employment Other seminars will include conversational Spanish classes for businesses and tips on how to sell ina recession. “These are all issuezs that affect thebottom line,” Rossbacher Rossbacher, with her scientific background she’s worked for the U.S. Geologicap Survey, NASA (she never became an astronaut) and a geothermal exploration company — is very precise, said her the Rev. Karen Evans, rector at St. Jamexs Episcopal Church in Marietta. Both are also membere of the MariettaKiwanis Club. “Shed knows all about the geology of Evans said.
“I’ve always found that But Rossbacher also has a lot of expertisre in dealing with people and notjust rocks. She’s a good listener “and she’e able to hear what is realltygoing on,” Evans said. “She’s very good at askingb the right questions to help clarify issues.” Rossbacher has long-range visionb for organizations and is “extraordinarily strong in pulliny people together,” said Michael Gerber, president of the nonprofitr . Rossbacher was chairman of theARCHE board, which has 19 membe colleges and universities, for the past two years.
“Shd puts the organization ahead of herself and tries to bringpeople in, includes them, so they are participants,” Gerbe said. “That’s the mark of a good What Gerber has seen Rossbachee accomplish in the higher educatiomn arena will translate easily to the he said.