I. Love. Chambers.
At heart, I’m a Chamber guy. I started my journey in community and economic development as an Ambassador for the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce (now, Greater IC Inc.). A few years later, a job opened up at the chamber – Director of Member Services – and I made the leap. The rest is history.
In my time at the chamber, and in the years since, I’ve gotten to see firsthand the impact that these incredible organizations have on their communities.
This poster from this year’s ACCE Annual Convention in New Orleans does a great job highlighting many of the things that chambers do. Inside the profession, we all know it.
Chambers change things, in these ways and so many more.
I think my journey in chamber work is a common one. Maybe not everyone changes their career trajectory, but every single person, in every single community, feels the impact the chamber makes in one way or another. Sometimes directly, sometimes without even knowing it. In our work at RoleCall, we work hard to amplify the chamber’s reach.
There’s no organization better suited to convene, connect, and celebrate the way chambers are.
There’s no group of people that love their community more than chamber teams. I want to take a few minutes to recognize the way we see chambers change things – from a talent lens – for each square in that great graphic.
☑️ For Entrepreneurs: Chambers provide entrepreneurs and small businesses with relationships, resources and opportunities they need to grow. Through networking, mentorship, advocacy, and access to capital, chambers create an environment where entrepreneurs can not only launch, but thrive.
☑️ For Every Employer: Employers don't attract talent in isolation—they succeed when they're part of a connected ecosystem. Chambers bring employers, schools, workforce organizations, and community partners together around a shared talent strategy, making it easier for businesses to find, develop, and retain the people they need.
☑️ For Effective Public Policy: From workforce development and housing to transportation, childcare, and quality of life, chambers help local advance local, state and federal policies that make communities more competitive for employers and the talent they need.
☑️ For Downtowns: A thriving downtown is more than an economic asset—it's a talent asset. By investing in vibrant commercial districts, local experiences, and community gathering places, chambers help create the kind of environment where people choose to build careers, raise families, and invest in the future of the region.
☑️ For Young Talent: Chambers of Commerce help young talent discover opportunities close to home by connecting students and young professionals with local employers, career pathways, and community leaders. By strengthening these connections early, chambers help communities retain emerging talent, attract new candidates and build the workforce of the future.
☑️ For Our Community’s Future: Chambers build for the future by fostering partnerships, advancing strategic initiatives, and creating opportunities that make the community a destination for both businesses and the workforce of tomorrow. The communities that win the future won't simply recruit more talent or companies—they'll build ecosystems where talent chooses to stay, grow, and lead.
☑️ For Growing Economies: Chambers transform talent attraction into economic growth by making career opportunities, workforce resources, and community assets more visible and connected. As employers find talent more easily and individuals discover meaningful local careers, communities become more competitive, resilient, and positioned for sustained economic success.
☑️ For Every Worker: Every worker benefits from a connected talent ecosystem. Chambers help expand access to local jobs, upskilling opportunities, professional networks, and career advancement, making it easier for individuals to build successful careers without leaving their community, and for new talent to connect.
All of these topics have one thing in common: chambers aren't just membership organizations—they're ecosystem orchestrators.
They connect employers, entrepreneurs, educators, downtowns, policymakers, and young talent around a common goal. Chambers are the central hub that helps them convene and coordinate those connections and make the entire ecosystem visible and actionable. We know that chambers are uniquely positioned to solve the talent attraction challenge. And we’re here to help, because again—We. Love. Chambers.