Today at the Coastline Convention Center, Sen. Kay Hagan implored Wilmington businesses to continue to grow jobs in the city and beyond. Hagan was the keynote speaker at the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce annual meeting.

“With so many people out of work,” Hagan said, “we have to grow our own. We truly have the best workforce in the country.”

Hagan went on to encourage banks to increase capital in the marketplace and in turn to expect more regulatory certainty from Washington. Her appointment to the Senate Banking Committee should help to stabilize banking legislation and Hagan reiterated her number one priority is jobs, she said.

Chamber President and CEO Connie Majure-Rhett introduced outgoing 2010 Chairman Randy Tomsic. Tomsic turned over the chairmanship to Jack Barto, the CEO of New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

Barto encouraged the crowd to be proud of the work the chamber performs.

“The role of the chamber is to be the voice and represent business,” Barto said. “We should be proud of what we do. We shouldn’t be apologizing.”

Barto said he hopes many more local businesses join the chamber during his tenure as chairman. Barto also touted the new website the chamber is developing and a new chamber logo unveiled at the meeting.