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
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