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
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