With an eye on bringing Newtown Chamber of Commerce members and local businesses together for mutually beneficial activities, delivering topical, top-flight continuing education opportunities, and attracting more customers with money to spend locally, Judith Miller is mapping out her next two years as the chamber’s volunteer president.

Miller quickly and quietly took the helm leading the local nonprofit Chamber of Commerce at the end of the organization’s annual meeting April 27, but she was equally quick to engage membership and the entire local business community in announcing what is shaping up to be one of the most successful promotions ever: “The Great Newtown Shopping Spree.”

“We’re really focusing on our goal to not only be a benefit and resource to the entire chamber membership, but to any local business through a very special and unique raffle that was the inspiration of our executive director, Helen Brickfield,” Miller said, equally quick to defer credit to the chamber’s day-to-day — albeit part-time — administrator and creative force. The grand prizes are $3,000, $1,500, and $500 budgets for the winners to spend any way they please, as long as all the funds are spent patronizing a Newtown Chamber member regardless of location — or any other Newtown business (subject to any legal restrictions).

“This raffle is designed to be the kickoff toward becoming the chamber we want to be, a chamber that best serves its members and the community,” Miller said. The limited number of 3,000 tickets will be available to the general public for just $20 each between May 19 and June 24 —no limit, first come, first served until they are sold out. Proceeds will be used exclusively to enhance chamber services and promotions, as well as establishing an expert speakers panel to provide cutting edge resources to local businesses so they can become even more successful and sustainable, Miller said.

Winners can, for example, use the funds for a gym membership, an eye exam and new pair of glasses, grocery or retail purchases, joining the Community Center or paying for camp with the Parks & Rec Department, music lessons, home renovations, clothes, personal services, business equipment, even dental work or other medical needs — but checks distributed from the winners’ balances will only be authorized for Newtown-based providers, businesses, of Chamber member companies located outside of Newtown.

At the same time, Miller is urging businesses to get creative and think about ways to attract those raffle winners by creating bonus incentives for their patronage.

In addition to applying proceeds to shoring up various chamber functions and enhancing educational programs, Miller also hopes to use a small segment of proceeds to help underwrite the chamber’s next planned fundraiser, a luxury purse raffle, sometime in the summer or early fall. The chamber is also finalizing plans for its October 2 Newtown Day, presented in partnership with Newtown Parks & Rec; an autumn golf tournament; and early 2022 activities, including the return of Martini Madness, a festive Mardi Gras-themed event, and the next Business of the Year event in partnership with the Newtown Rotary.

Experience Matters

Miller said she is excited to step into the chamber’s leadership role as someone who has owned small businesses in the past, including a family-operated payroll company, and enjoyed success after transitioning into the corporate world.

“I loved meeting customers and clients, and learning about how to fulfill their needs, and I greatly benefited from corporate and private personal development and continuing education,” she said. “I see a membership in our chamber as a way to enjoy traditional benefits like diverse opportunities to get together and network, but there is so much more we can do for members who will get out of it whatever they are willing to invest in our various other programs.”

That means Miller will be busy meeting new business owners in the coming weeks, while continuing to engage with existing members.

“I want members and prospects to tell us what they need from us — you can’t just join a dynamic chamber like ours and then sit by waiting for things to happen, so we can best serve the community by bringing in programs they will be excited to support and attend — programs that will generate immediate benefits,” she said. “I’m also thrilled to be meeting so many first-time and younger business owners and entrepreneurs who want to bring their solution-oriented energy to the chamber.”

Since the local chamber staff is limited to just two part-time employees, Miller said she naturally will lean as much as possible on members “to help us do for them what they need most to succeed and be more sustainable.”

“We’re not wired to be a marketing agency, but we can certainly apply resources to supporting members’ marketing and public relations, while networking them to members and others who can,” she said. “We also want to provide value to larger corporate and other members who do business — or who want to do business with merchants in Newtown.”

Cultivating Partnerships

Miller is committed to continuing several other strategic community partnerships with the Newtown Department of Community and Economic Development, as well as the C.H. Booth Library and its expanding array of business support services.

In closing, the new chamber president pledged that under her purview, she will never over promise, “but I’d like to get us to the point where we are delivering value to each and every member.”

“I think if I and the chamber can also play a role in attracting more clients and consumers to Newtown, it can be one of the best long-term benefits we can offer to all our businesses,” she said. “But that said, I also am committed to talking with anyone about how they can benefit from a chamber membership, and how we can address their needs.”

Over the course of her next two years leading the Newtown Chamber, Miller said she wants to honor the role.

“In two years, I want to walk away feeling I’ve left the chamber a better organization than it is today,” she said. “While addressing immediate issues, I also am looking long-term to ensure this chamber is sustainable so our future leadership can hit the ground running and not starting over.”

For more information, or to set up an appointment to meet and chat with Judith Miller, call the Newtown Chamber at 203-426-2695; e-mail helenbrickfield@newtown-ct.com — or visit the chamber’s website, newtown-ct.com, and social network pages.

John Voket can be reached at john@thebee.com.