Photo by Jasmyne Ray
Jacqueline Gardner of the South Shelby County Chamber of Commerce stands with Joe Meads of the Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce. The two chambers have joined to form the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce.
The South Shelby and Greater Shelby County chambers of commerce announced in early December that they would come together to form a single organization, the Shelby County Chamber. The merging of the two chambers was approved unanimously by each chamber’s board of directors in late November 2018.
“Both organizations have embraced the synergy that has emerged as they collaboratively worked on and jointly attended events around the country over the last three years. This is really a natural next step,” Jacqueline Gardner, South Shelby County Chamber chair, said. “Both organizations share a vision for Shelby County.”
Together, the chambers will continue to champion Shelby County as the “premier place to live and do business.” With some individuals serving on the board of directors for both chambers and businesses being members of both organizations, the transition to one cohesive chamber was seamless, she said.
“The decision was made to combine the board members from both existing organizations into one leadership body,” Kirk Mancer, president and CEO of the Greater Shelby Chamber, said. “Over time, through attrition, one board of directors will emerge.”
According to Paul Rogers, a task force team leader, the process has been “deliberative,” with significant outreach to every part of each organization and local governments involved.
He added that the mission of partnering with community stakeholders to support stability and foster economic vitality throughout Shelby County has been a common theme in all deliberations.
“It is an exciting time for Shelby County and its future. Combining our resources can only strengthen the opportunities for our students to impacted by projects that either prepare them for a college track or expose them to career opportunities that exist within industry,” Keith Brown, the immediate past chair of Greater Shelby Chamber said.
Additionally, with both organizations having active ambassador programs, and some ambassadors serving both chambers, those programs will be combined. Keyla Handley, the acting director of the South Shelby Chamber, calls these programs their “front line of communication,” saying that they’re vital to the organization.
County Manager Alex Dudchock views the move to one chamber as a positive one. “Working together, each one bringing strengths to the table, will energize support for businesses and strengthen the current workforce development efforts that are critical to our future,” he said.
The Shelby County Chamber will begin work Jan. 1, 2019. Popular events such as the monthly chamber luncheons, Coffee with the Mayor and school outreach programs will continue under the organization.
“These two organizations have energetic members and visionary leadership; there is strength in unity,” Bill Connor, chair-elect of the Greater Shelby Chamber, said. “This is an exciting, progressive move for the overall business environment in Shelby County.”
“We have been working collaboratively for so long, I don’t think members of either organization will feel an impact operationally from this change,” Casey Morris, immediate past chair of South Shelby Chamber, said.
The Shelby County Chamber will also continue to work with other business and workforce development groups, including 58 Inc., to address the needs of existing and future employers throughout Shelby County.
This story is part of our Year in Preview. See more here.
