Category: Podcast Episode

Our 7th interview in our 2020 ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist Series is with Jim Parsons from the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce in Minnesota.  In the interview the main areas that we covered were the highlights of their synopsis that were submitted with their Chamber of the Year application, what makes the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber stand out, their plans on how to lead through the recovery from COVID-19, and words of advice for other Chamber Champions to improve their own Chamber.

Jim covered two highlights from their Chamber of the Year synopsis.  The first program he addressed is their Fueling Our Future economic development program which focuses on people, prosperity, and place.  This economic development program covers closing the skills gap in the workforce, collaboration with the 5 area higher education facilities, flood protection, and shovel ready programs.  The second program that Jim covered was Women Connect which is a group to support women in business.  Women Connect has smaller groups within it call “PUSH” which stands for Preserve Dreams, Unite Women, Shatter Barriers, and Have Heart.  They have an annual event for Women Connect that normally draws around 900 attendees, last year it attracted over 4,000 women with their guest speaker, Rachel Hollis.  There is also a charity element in Women Connect that supports local non-profit organizations.

When Jim talked about what makes the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber stand out, he talked about their ability to recognize the needs and politics in both Minnesota and North Dakota since their Chamber straddles the boarders of these states.

The Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber plans to lead through the recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19 by convening with over 20 other organizations to establish a COVID task force.  They will continue to assess the financial impact, build consumer confidence, and educate their business community about available resources.

As Jim shared his piece of advice for the Chamber Champions listening, he encouraged others to develop excellent communications, to think outside the box, and to take risks.

If you would like to connect with Jim, he can be reached below:

Phone: 218-233-1100

Email: jparsons@fmwfchamber.com

Website: fmwfchamber.com

Social: @fmwfchamber

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Our 6th interview in our 2020 ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist Series is with Chris Romer from the Vail Valley Partnership in Colorado.  The VVP was named Chamber of the Year in 2016, was a finalist for Chamber of the Year in 2015, and Chris Romer was also a previous guest on Chamber Chat Podcast in episode 21.  In this interview the main areas that we covered were the highlights of their synopsis that were submitted with their Chamber of the Year application, what makes the Vail Valley Partnership stand out, their plans on how to lead through the recovery from COVID-19, and words of advice for other Chamber Champions to improve their own Chamber.

Chris covered two highlights from their Chamber of the Year synopsis.  The first program he addressed is their Workforce Housing Coalition which has resulted in 16 projects being approved where there had been little activity before.  The second program that Chris discussed was their Careerwise Youth Apprenticeships .  This is a 3-year program that starts in a student’s sophomore year and allows the student to earn dual credit.  The goal is to prepare students for with white collar, full-time job opportunities with competitive pay that is at or above the median income level.

When Chris talked about what makes the Vail Valley Partnership stand out, he talked about how the VVP is program centric and actively look to solve problems in their community.  This was also the topic of Chris’ interview in episode 21.

The Vail Valley Partnership plans to lead through the recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19 by recognizing that this is an opportunity for Chambers to be what they are meant to be.  They are looking for ways to show non-involvement value that provides impact to their community.  The 4 areas of focus at the VVP are: 1) Relief-assisting with federal and state aid. 2) Reopening-being the bridge between the government and industry. 3) Recovery/Reinvention. 4) Resilience-providing business tool kits, “we are open” messaging, and leading task force efforts.

As Chris shared his piece of advice for the Chamber Champions listening, he kept his answer simple.  Chris says that Chambers need to listen and then take action. (See being program centric above)

If you would like to connect with Chris, he can be reached below:

Phone: 970-477-4016

Email: cromer@visitvailvalley.com

Website: vailvalleypartnership.com

Social: LinkedIn Facebook

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Our 5th interview in our 2020 ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist Series is with Kate Teel from the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce in North Carolina.  In the interview the main areas that we covered were the highlights of their synopsis that were submitted with their Chamber of the Year application, what makes the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber stand out, their plans on how to lead through the recovery from COVID-19, and words of advice for other Chamber Champions to improve their own Chamber.

Kate covered two highlights from their Chamber of the Year synopsis.  The first program that she addressed was their Grow Local workforce development campaign.  Grow Local started with the goal to introduce, include, and involve the youth in their community.  Initially they started with a target of 800-1000 students to participate and that number grew to 2,734.  The program also involved over 100 businesses who participated in the 5 days of events.  The second program that she highlighted was around catalytic leadership between industry an education.  The Greenville-Pitt County Chamber took 32 community leaders on an intercity trip to Greenville and Spartanburg, SC.  This intercity trip sparked a public/private partnership called Greenville ENC Alliance that would create hundreds of new jobs in the community.

When Kate talked about what makes the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber stand out, she mentioned that they have ever-evolving community leadership.  She also shared a fun fact that the Chamber is located in the Fleming House which belonged to the late Senator, James Fleming who helped to establish East Carolina Teachers’ Training School which later became what is known today as East Carolina University.

The Greenville-Pitt County Chamber plans to lead through the recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19 by contacting every business member to triage their needs.  From there, the focus will shift to recovery in both the private and public sector.  The Chamber will be the go-to source for information and will be proactive about sharing information.  One of the most important things that the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber will do is they will focus on the Chamber to be sure they are sustainable so they can continue to be a support and advocate for their business community well into the future.

As Kate shared her piece of advice for the Chamber Champions listening, she issued the challenge that if someone gives you a challenge, to see to it!  Accept that challenge and overcome it.

If you would like to connect with Kate, she can be reached below:

Phone: 252-752-4101 x2228

Email: kate@greenvillenc.org

Website: greenvillenc.org

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Our 4^th interview in our 2020 ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist Series is with James McCoy from the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce in Georgia.  The Forsyth County Chamber is responsible for the area’s economic development and tourism in addition to their Chamber duties.  In the interview, the main areas that we covered were the highlights of their synopsis that was submitted with their Chamber of the Year application, what makes the Forsyth Chamber stand out, their plans on how to lead through the recovery from COVID-19, and words of advice for other Chamber Champions to improve their own Chamber.

James covered three highlights from their Chamber of the Year synopsis.  First, is a focus on how the Forsyth County Chamber was able to align the goals for their Chamber, economic development, and tourism based around their Chamber mission.  Second, the Forsyth County Chamber went through a name change as well as new branding and logo.  Third, was a focus on new community improvement districts which is allowing for their area to be much more attractive to business and tourism.

When James talked about what makes the Forsyth County Chamber stand out, he was quick to mention the unity and effectiveness that comes from the synergy of having their Chamber, economic development, and tourism aligned and working towards the same goals.   James also mentioned that their area is a popular spot for the sport of cricket so that has been an area of focus for both business and tourism.  They also have been targeting commercial film projects to their area.

When discussing how the Forsyth Chamber plans to lead through the recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19, James mentioned the website that they created and branded within 48 hours from when everything started to shut down.  It is called Together 4 FOCO.  This website became a great resource for their community.  He also talked about the need for operating capital for businesses and helping to navigate through EIDL and PPP loans.  The Forsyth County Chamber has also started to host virtual job fairs to help with the employment situation.  They use a platform called Blue Jeans for their job fairs.  They have also been taking advantage and promoting the open access educational opportunities that their local colleges and universities are offering for certificate programs to help make the people in their community more employable.

As James shared his piece of advice for the Chamber Champions listening, he mentioned the importance of surrounding yourself with a great team (including your board).  James also talked about the importance of continuing to learn who you are.  Learn your strengths and weaknesses and to monitor them regularly.

If you would like to connect with James, he can be reached below:

Mobile: 770-842-4774

Email: jmccoy@focochamber.org

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Our 3rd interview in our 2020 ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist Series is with Norma Lansing from the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce in Illinois.  The Effingham County Chamber was also a Chamber of the Year Finalist in 2019.  You can listen to the interview with Norma last year at chamberchatpodcast.com/episode34. In this year’s interview, the main areas that we covered were the highlights of their synopsis that were submitted with their Chamber of the Year application, what makes the Effingham County Chamber stand out, their plans on how to lead through the recovery from COVID-19, and words of advice for other Chamber Champions to improve their own Chamber.

Norma covered two highlights from their Chamber of the Year synopsis.  The first program that she addressed was their Regional Incubator Network that includes the first shared workspace in their area.  The second program that she highlighted has to do with their manufacturing day where students from the areas 13 high schools each get to visit 2 manufacturing sites of their interest to learn about career opportunities in the area after graduation.

When Norma talked about what makes the Effingham County Chamber stand out, she focused her remarks on their member care program which has held their membership retention above 90% for many years and features a 3-year onboarding process for new members.

The Effingham County Chamber plans to lead through the recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19 by pivoting to more virtual events.  They are also going to have a focus to highlight businesses that are reopening by providing information and in some cases coupons to attract customers.  The Chamber will continue to assist with informing their business community about grant applications as well.

As Norma shared her piece of advice for the Chamber Champions listening, she encourages you to be involved with your state chamber associations as well as ACCE and to follow leaders in the industry who provide valuable information like Frank Kenny, Cathi Hight, Kyle Sexton, and the Chamber Chat Podcast.

If you would like to connect with Norma, she can be reached below:

Phone: 217-342-4147

Email: nlansing@effinghamcountychamber.com

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Our 2nd interview in our 2020 ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist Series is with Justin Starlin from the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce in Ohio.  The Wooster Area Chamber was also a Chamber of the Year Finalist in 2019.  You can listen to the interview with Justin last year at chamberchatpodcast.com/episode31. In this year’s interview, the main areas that we covered were the highlights of their synopsis that were submitted with their Chamber of the Year application, what makes the Wooster Area Chamber stand out, their plans on how to lead through the recovery from COVID-19, and words of advice for other Chamber Champions to improve their own Chamber.

Justin covered two highlights from their Chamber of the Year synopsis.  First, is this is the 7^th year for the Wooster Area Chamber to participate in a county-wide manufacturing day where 700 students visit 18 manufacturing facilities to learn about the career opportunities that are available.  The second program that he highlighted is their newsletter production which is a monthly newsletter that is physically printed with 2,100 delivered to Chamber businesses and another 23,000 copies delivered throughout their community.  This has become an important part of the branding for the Wooster Area Chamber.

When Justin talked about what makes the Wooster Area Chamber stand out, he mentioned how proud he is of their organization to be able to lead and to take positions that advocate for their business community.

The Wooster Area Chamber plans to lead through the recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19 by being present, sharing information, and creating a draw to get people to visit their downtown businesses.

As Justin shared his piece of advice for the Chamber Champions listening, he encourages you to periodically step back and evaluate what your community needs over the next 5-7 years.  Catch that vision and then collaborate and lead to make a big difference.

If you would like to connect with Justin, he can be reached below:

Email: jstarlin@woosterchamber.com

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Our 1st interview in our 2020 ACCE Chamber of the Year Finalist Series is with Brian Ritter from the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber EDC in North Dakota.  The Bismarck-Mandan Chamber EDC is the result of a merger between the Chamber and Economic Development that happened in 2019.  In the interview, the main areas that we covered were the highlights of their synopsis that was submitted with their Chamber of the Year application, what makes the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber EDC stand out, their plans on how to lead through the recovery from COVID-19, and words of advice for other Chamber Champions to improve their own Chamber.

Brian covered the two highlights from their Chamber of the Year synopsis.  First, is a program called Lemonade Day that encourages the entrepreneurial spirit to the over 600 youth in the community who participate with their own lemonade stand.  These youth learn basic business principles as this is promoted through the school districts and other community partners.  The second program that he highlighted was around their economic development and talent/workforce development.  This program is called Educator Experience.  One of the main focuses for this program is around workshops for educators to better understand the employment and career opportunities within the community.

When Brian talked about what makes the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber EDC stand out, he emphasized the importance of the culture of relationships that are built and how to foster meaningful relationships.

The Bismarck-Mandan Chamber EDC plans to lead through the recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19 in three areas.  1) Continue to be an advocate for their business community for things like PPP and other grant and loan programs.  2) They will offer support to their business community through platforms like web series and contests.  3)  They will be the trusted resource provider that businesses can turn to for answers.  They will continue to look for ways to increase the consumer confidence in their community as well as they provide market updates.

As Brian shared his piece of advice for the Chamber Champions listening, he encourages you to find ways to quantify the value you provide to your members.  Brian gave a bonus to his response by prompting us to all listen better and then be willing to adapt.

If you would like to connect with Brian, he can be reached below:

Mobile: 701-223-5660

Email: britter@bmcedc.com

Twitter: @briangritter

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

David Brown is the President & CEO at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, one of the largest and highest accredited Chambers in the nation, and 2015 ACCE Chamber of the Year. David’s experience as a Chamber leader over the past 30+ years has positioned him well to speak on our topic of discussion for this episode of Leadership in a Crisis.

David shares some background about the Greater Omaha Chamber’s 2040 vision which did not see the COVID-19 pandemic coming, however it did take into account to possibility of interruption in commerce. By looking ahead at possibilities, David, his team and board have been able to lead with a calmness during this time of uncertainty.

In our discussion, David covers the timeless importance of great leadership and how that transitions into leading during troubling times. Because David does have that leadership forward vision, he is able to share his thoughts about how we move forward to help your member businesses regain their strength. He emphasizes the importance of taking the pulse of your staff, your members, and your overall community to learn what their needs are.

If you would like to connect with David about what he has shared in this episode or to continue this conversation off-line, you can see his contact information below:

• dbrown@omahachamber.org
• 402-616-4175 cell

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.

Liz Horton is the Senior Vice President at the Greenville Chamber of Commerce. She has over 18 years of Chamber experience with the past three years being at the Greenville Chamber. In her three years in Greenville, their Chamber has experienced many changes. It is with this background of change that Liz joins us for this episode to discuss ways to manage changes at your Chamber.

Some of the changes that Liz has recently experienced include implementing a new tiered dues membership model, a new strategic plan, staff realignments, and they sold the Chamber building and moved to a new location downtown. We also discussed some of the changes that may be on the horizon for Chambers as we start to recover from the COVID-19 economic slow down.

Some of the key strategies that Liz suggests that should be included when managing any change are, effective communication, buy-in from partners, and the importance of getting stake holders involved with the decision making process (especially those with differing opinions).

If you would like to connect with Liz about what she has shared in this episode or to continue this conversation off-line, you can see her contact information below:

• lhorton@greenvillechamber.org
• 864-239-3723

FREE resources to help you better serve your Chamber members and your community.

As you focus on your Chamber’s mission and purpose, you will find that your publications say a lot about your organization. Community Matters, Inc. is an award-winning Chamber publisher that would like to help your Chamber with your next Chamber Directory, Guide, or Map. Community Matters has a turn-key program that is very simple. In the end, your Chamber has a great looking printed & digital publication that will represent your Chamber very well while providing a smooth source of non-dues revenue. Click here to learn more.