At its annual awards luncheon on Feb. 7, the Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce took the wraps off a new business model.

For the first time in years, the chamber is offering to take some political risks on behalf of its members, vowing to be the “voice of business” for the South Coast region and vowing a newly reformed Government Relations Committee process to grapple with issues.

It also is embracing the idea of using digital technology and social media as the primary form of communications with its members — a move that is long overdue.

And it is engaging with other communities in an effort to understand better how an economic vitality effort might fit in with other programs on the Central Coast.

The chamber is being very smart to lay out goals and an agenda as it enters the search period for a new executive director to replace interim chief Zoe Taylor.

By creating a clear framework, it will be able to find a new CEO who fits within the priorities leadership has set.