If you’ve heard me speak, or let’s be honest if you’ve been within earshot of me for more than about five minutes, you’ve probably heard me say this before: Community is our competitive advantage.

It’s not just a tagline or a feel-good sentiment. It’s a core truth about life here in Eagle County. It’s what sets us apart — from other mountain towns, from other resort communities, and frankly, from just about anywhere else.

We live in a remarkable place. The natural beauty is obvious. World-class skiing, hiking, biking, rivers, trails — we’ve got that in spades. But natural beauty doesn’t build community. People do. And here’s the thing about Eagle County: we show up for each other.

We show up when there’s a need. We show up to volunteer, to donate, to mentor, and to support our schools, our nonprofits, and our neighbors. We show up because we care. And when you look around at other places - places struggling with division, disconnection, or declining civic engagement - you realize how rare and valuable that is.

I’ll say it again because I believe it to be true: community is our competitive advantage. But, and you knew there’d be a “but”, community isn’t something we can take for granted. It’s not self-sustaining. It takes effort. It takes engagement. It takes an investment - of time, energy, ideas, and yes, sometimes resources.

At the Vail Valley Partnership, we think a lot about this. Our mission is pretty simple: we work to advance the community vitality of the Eagle County. Makes sense; after all, we are the chamber of commerce and supporting our businesses and civic organizations and our community is embedded in our DNA. We recognize that community vitality isn’t just about dollars and data. It’s about people. It’s about belonging. It’s about ensuring that every person in our community has the opportunity to thrive.

That’s why we focus on things like workforce development, housing, childcare, mental health, transportation, and access to healthcare. These aren’t just “quality of life” issues — they’re economic issues. They’re business issues. Most importantly, they’re community issues.

If our workforce can’t find career pathways or can’t live here, we don’t have an economy. If our locals can’t access childcare, they can’t fully participate in the workforce. If people are struggling with mental health, that impacts families, businesses, and our entire community.

These are hard challenges. They’re complex. They don’t lend themselves to easy soundbites or quick fixes.

But here’s the good news: our community has a track record of tackling big challenges together. Public-private partnerships, collaboration across sectors, creative problem-solving — it’s what we do here. And it works.

We’ve seen it with the success of Eagle County Gives, the new Avon childcare center, and the development of new workforce housing projects such as Timber Ridge. Expanded behavioral health services, and career pipeline development efforts. Time and again, we’ve proven that when Eagle County puts its collective mind and heart to something, we get things done.

As we look ahead to the challenges and opportunities of the future, I’m confident that our greatest asset remains unchanged: it’s our people, our community.

So, consider this your friendly reminder (or maybe your gentle nudge): stay engaged. Show up. Vote. Volunteer. Support local businesses. Mentor a young professional. Be a good neighbor.

Our community isn’t perfect - no place is. But it is special. And it’s worth investing in.

Our mountains might bring people here, but our community is what makes them stay.

And that’s our true competitive advantage.

Chris Romer is president & CEO of Vail Valley Partnership, 3-time national chamber of the year. Learn more at VailValleyPartnership.com