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Welcome Messages

Dear Friends,

The 2009 Rochester Regional Chamber Community and Membership Buyers guide is now available. This publication is a rich resource that promotes the cities of Rochester and Rochester Hills and Oakland Township. Each of these premier communities offers diverse cultural, educational and business synergy, which has led to great economic impact for the state of Michigan.

We are blessed that the Rochester Regional Chamber has continued to have such an influential role in the continued expansion and richness of our communities. We want to continue to be a strong advocate for business and community leaders.

Our goal and mission is to continue to provide strong leadership by working closely with business in developing strong partnerships that ultimately will make our Rochester Regional Chamber the leading Chamber of Commerce in the State of Michigan.

I encourage you to contact our office at (248) 651-6700 or visit our weekly e-newsletter for community information at www.rrc-mi.com.

With Warm Regards,
Linda Davis-Kirksey
Chair

Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce

When Oakland University was created more than 50 years ago, the City of Rochester and its residents opened their arms to our faculty, staff and students. A picnic was hosted to welcome our campus community to the area, students lived with local families until dorms were built, and a portion of Walton Boulevard was renamed “University Drive.”

Since those early days, Oakland has continued to collaborate with our neighbors. The synergy created through community engagement, with the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce, the City of Rochester, and other communities, educational institutions, hospitals, and business and industry, has played a role in the reputation and growth of the entire area.

An example of how Oakland leverages these partnerships is found in the Oakland University SmartZone Business Incubator (OU INC). OU INC provides entrepreneurs with a unique environment to start-up, establish and grow successful businesses by offering flexible office space, professional business services and access to capital and business development programs and resources. OU INC fosters entrepreneurial ideas through early stage, emerging and accelerated business development until the graduation stage of growth.

As greater Rochester has attracted thousands of new residents and businesses, our campus has also expanded. We have grown from two buildings, 570 students and 25 faculty members, to a nationally recognized university with five schools, the College of Arts and Sciences and The Honors College, offering hundreds of bachelor’s, master’s, Ph.D. and certificate programs. In fall 2007, we broke a new enrollment record of 18,000.

We offer a distinctive learning education, coupled with undergraduate research opportunities, internships and global study – all of which leads to workplace success for our graduates.

Our outstanding cultural offerings include Meadow Brook Hall, the Oakland University Art Gallery and student productions through our Department of Music, Theatre and Dance. Our Golden Grizzlies sports teams offer Division I competition, right here in Rochester. I hope you take time to visit our campus and see all that Oakland University offers.

Gary D. Russi, President
Oakland University

OAKLAND TOWNSHIP SUPERVISER

Welcome to Oakland Township! We have worked hard to maintain the wide open spaces and undeveloped acreage that our over 15,000 residents enjoy. We are firmly established as a quality residential area with our gated communities, charming homes and over 900 acres of parkland. Working in conjunction with Rochester and Rochester Hills, we are dedicated to making our area a great place to live.

Joan Fogler
Oakland Township Supervisor

MAYOR OF ROCHESTER

Rochester is an exciting city that offers people a hometown atmosphere. Visitors can see that Rochester has scenic parks, historic buildings and is located at the center of the Paint Creek and Clinton River trails. All of this scenic beauty is located next to a vibrant downtown and wonderful neighborhoods. This makes Rochester a truly unique destination city for people to live, work, shop and dine.

The historic downtown area is a great area to explore and discover all types of unique shopping and dining. The diversity of shopping and restaurants in our area is so great that people will never want to leave Rochester. Our downtown offers great events that are designed to entertain the entire family. Fun events such as the Big Bright Light Show at Christmas and Dancing in the Street and Movies in the Moonlight in the summer make downtown Rochester a special place to visit.

It is the people of Rochester who make our city a unique and interesting place. Rochester is a special place that offers charm and warmth for all people to enjoy. We think you will enjoy our lovely city and you will feel like you are “coming home” to Rochester. Please come and visit us soon and experience the wonder of Rochester. We look forward to your visit.

Stuart Bikson
Mayor of Rochester

MAYOR OF ROCHESTER HILLS

On behalf of our entire city staff and your 70,000 fellow residents, I want to welcome you to our city. Rochester Hills is the jewel of Oakland County and is unique in Southeast Michigan. We take great pride in being a top-notch, family oriented community. Take a drive, or better yet, a bike ride through any of our tree-lined subdivisions and you will see that families are what make our community great. Whether it’s playing ball in the front yard, or talking with neighbors in the back yard, you cannot help but be swept up in our town’s friendliness and charm.

Rochester Hills is blessed to have a wide-ranging economic base supporting our diverse population. We have excellent shopping opportunities for every possible purchase inclination, as well as some of the best dining in all of Michigan. Our businesses are community conscious and often complement our Midwestern values. World-class organizations like the Older Persons Commission and the Rochester Avon Recreation Authority sponsor countless activities for our residents. We are also home to Oakland University and Rochester College, which offer extensive educational and entertainment opportunities as well.

Rochester Hills is perhaps best known for its parks, trails and recreational offerings. Take a swim or rent a canoe at Spencer Park. Hike or bike down the river trails to view some of the most scenic vistas in Southeast Michigan. After you have experienced some of what our community has to offer, please stop by city hall and let me know what you think. We are thrilled to have you here and hope you will come to love our city as much as we do.

Sincerely,
Bryan K. Barnett, Mayor
City of Rochester Hills