My favorite thing about celebrating Thanksgiving isn’t the roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, or even the canned cranberry (not that it’s anyone’s favorite). My favorite thing is going around the table before the feast and sharing sappy confessions about what everyone is most thankful for. We have plenty to be thankful for in our personal lives but we also have much to be thankful for in our professional lives and in that spirit, I asked everyone in the office to share what they’re thankful for in the workplace…

Community – Jen Durben, our Heritage Area & Group Sales Manager, is thankful for our amazing small towns, organizations, and businesses we have the opportunity to work with every day. As Helen Keller said, “Alone, we can do so little: together, we can do so much.” 

Employment – According to the World Health Organization most of the world’s population spends 1/3 of their life at work. That fraction is a lot less frightening when you enjoy your job like Chamber Executive Vice President Regina Sweitzer. 

Recreation – Sarah Duck, our Vice President of Tourism & Marketing, expressed her thanks for the variety of activities in Garrett County that make marketing the county so much fun. In the winter she recommends skiing, snowboarding, horse-drawn sleigh rides, hiking down to Muddy Creek Falls, or taking in the scenery. 

Co-Workers – Entrepreneur and motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said “You become like the five people you spend the most time with. Choose carefully.”  Good thing our Projector Coordinator Holly Lane is thankful to work with such amazing, smart, and creative colleagues! 

Awareness – As the largest professional business association in Garrett County the Chamber of Commerce is involved in networking and promotion, tourism marketing, business advocacy, local heritage, and more. Administrative Assistant Sloane Howe is thankful for all she has learned about Garrett County since joining the team. 

Commitment – Chamber President & CEO Nicole Christian is thankful for the amazing people of this community and their commitment to making Garrett County a wonderful place to live. After all, according to Carnegie Foundation Professor Dr. Heidi Reeder, “Commitment is the foundation of great accomplishments.” 

Completed Projects – With everything going on here at the Chamber during every month of the year I’ve come to keep detailed lists and calendars and there’s nothing sweeter than finishing a project and getting to cross it off. For example this blog post—I’m thankful that I was able to pawn off all the hard work for this week’s blog content on my wonderful co-workers. 

What are you thankful for in the workplace? We’d love to hear your input! Please feel free to leave a comment and let us know.