Like a Boss: Meet the new Chamber President
You may have heard that your Denton Chamber of Commerce is in the midst of a transition. My name is Erica Pangburn and you have heard correctly, your Chamber does have a new President. If you’d like to stop in for a visit, I’d love to tell you where I’m from and how I got here, but I’d prefer to use this particular piece of real estate to remind you why chambers of commerce exist and what yours is up to.
In the US alone, there are currently about 7,000 chambers of commerce serving local businesses, from very large corporations to one-man (or woman) start-ups. There is naturally confusion around what chambers actually do because chambers in various towns focus on different things and operate in different ways. Simply stated: A chamber of commerce is a localized business advocacy association.
Chamber missions vary, but they all tend to focus to some degree on five primary goals:
Building communities which attract residents, visitors and investors (through public and private partnerships- the Economic Development arm of the Chamber plays a large role here)
Promoting those communities (This is most commonly the function of the Convention & Visitors Bureau arm of the Chamber)
Striving to ensure future prosperity via a pro-business climate (we want to make it EASY to do business in our community!)
Representing the unified voice of the employer community to local, state, and federal government (There’s POWER in numbers)
Providing accelerated access to resources and relationships (Networking!)
Most chambers are led by private-sector employers, self-funded, organized around boards/committees of volunteers and independent. They share a common ambition for sustained prosperity of their community/region, built on thriving employers. Most are ardent proponents of the free market system, resisting attempts to overly burden private sector enterprise and investment (ACCE.org).
Your Denton Chamber of Commerce is organized around a member-elected Board of Directors, currently chaired by Jill Jester of Minor and Jester, P.C. The Board of Directors is charged with setting forth a program of work that will accomplish the prescribed mission of the Chamber. This mission is carried out by an army of volunteers and a handful of staff. Economic Development activity and Convention and Visitor’s Bureau activity is funded by private investors and through public tax dollars that the State and the City collect and award, through contracts. Tax dollars that fund these functions are highly restricted and reserved for specific activities only. The activities of the Chamber (proper) are privately funded by membership dues, sponsorships, community investors, and program fees. Annual audits by an independent financial organization ensure transparency and accountability.
In my mind, while those details are important, that’s also the boring stuff that keeps all successful organizations humming along. The exciting part is what happens when the “program of work” is properly executed. If you are a member business owner, you likely remember the day the Chamber Ambassadors showed up with giant scissors to celebrate with you and cut the ribbon in front of your new enterprise. If you know a Leadership Denton graduate, you’ve listened to them tell you about how this program changed their view of Denton and you’ve been told by them that you need to apply. You do. Applications are open now by the way.
Is that all we do? Not even close. We make it a point to build and maintain relationships with local, state and federal decision-makers who will take our calls when our members have an issue that is affecting their ability to do business. We are business to business connectors and business to consumer connectors. We are community builders and we LIKE new ideas. We partner with educators in order to make sure we are supporting the future workforce of Denton. We are working around the clock to attract new dollars to Denton. Visitors, serviced by our CVB, host events & conventions, spend nights in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, buy gifts in our retail establishments and put gas in their cars. In 2018 we were able to count $4.5M new dollars in Denton through conventions alone. The Economic Development Partnership is helping to expand business, bring in new business and create jobs. They are marketing Denton, Texas to site selectors from around the world.
Business awards? We do those. (In my opinion, most business owners deserve an award!) Start-up support? The number one Small Business Development Center office in the State of Texas is inside our office. And their services are FREE. Networking? Advertising opportunities? Yes. Online resources? Yes. Denton’s own internet radio station? Now we’re just bragging.
Ask me why I love my job. I’m serious- come see me and tell me what keeps you awake at night. Help me understand your needs so that we can adjust our offerings and remain relevant amidst a changing business landscape. Or better yet- tell me where you are, and we’ll come to you. The Chamber office is located at 414 W Parkway, just steps from the coolest downtown anywhere. Find me on Facebook. Send me an email: erica@denton-chamber.org or give us a call: 940-382-9693. Your Denton Chamber is open for business.
Erica Pangburn, IOM