Nine years ago, when I moved to Carbon County, I thought it was a temporary pit stop in the life I was building with my (now) husband, Christopher.

Our plan was simple: spend a year or two fixing up the childhood home his father had left him, then move on to our next chapter. Somewhere along the way, however, we turned our house into a home and put down roots. I found my calling with the Chamber; Chris built his business and joined the local fire department, and we realized we actually really liked it here. We found friends and neighbors who became “chosen family,” and a community we were proud to give back to.

Before we knew it, Carbon County wasn’t just where we lived — it was home.

In my role as senior vice president of the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corp., I’ve had the privilege of experiencing this community through a unique lens. I’ve celebrated ribbon cuttings marking grand openings, anniversaries, expansions, and new ownership, and stood beside business owners through uncertainty, workforce shortages, rising costs, and an ever-changing economy. I’ve sat around tables with municipal leaders tackling difficult community challenges, celebrated entrepreneurs achieving lifelong dreams, and supported members through both their greatest successes and their hardest losses.

Through the good, the bad, and everything in between, I’ve had a front-row seat to the resilience, generosity, and determination that define our community.

Those experiences have reinforced something I’ve come to believe wholeheartedly: strong communities don’t happen by accident. They’re built by people who care enough to invest their time, talents, and resources into making them better.

That’s exactly why the work of the CCEDC matters, and exactly why this work is so personal to me.

Our purpose is to advance balanced economic growth and quality-of-life solutions throughout Carbon County. It may sound broad, but at its heart, it’s about helping create communities where businesses can succeed, families want to live, and future generations can build lives of their own.

In June, our board of directors adopted a new strategic plan that will guide our work in the years ahead. We’ll continue strengthening relationships with our businesses and municipalities, serve as a trusted resource for organizations navigating challenges and opportunities, foster conversations around issues that impact our county’s future, and champion initiatives that support economic vitality and vibrant communities.

Of course, you’ll continue to see us hosting networking events, educational programs, ribbon cuttings, and community celebrations.

This summer, we’re especially looking forward to the Carbon County Community Festival on July 18, our Open House on July 30, the Carbon PA CareerLink Career Fair on Aug. 20 and Sturm Cup Golf Tournament on Sept. 16, with many more opportunities to connect throughout the year.

Our events are important — but they’re really just the public face of a much larger mission. Every program, partnership, and conversation is another opportunity to strengthen the place we all call home.

As I begin writing this monthly column, I hope to share not only what’s happening at the CCEDC, but also the people, partnerships, and ideas moving Carbon County forward.

Somewhere along the way, Carbon County became my home. Today, it’s my privilege to help shape its future, because when a place becomes home, you can’t help but want to leave it even better than you found it.

Kylie Adams-Weiss is senior vice president for Carbon Carbon Chamber & Economic Development Corp. She will be writing monthly columns on the Chamber and its activities.