BOARD CHAIR

Every fall the Chamber board begins its process of interviewing and appointing new board members.

Summer slows us all down a bit in Arizona, which means the Chamber and its Board of Directors can take a little time to prep for the future. Here are just a few things the Chamber Board is talking about this month.

The term begins in January with a swearing-in ceremony at the first meeting of the new year. We are looking for board members who are willing to be engaged and active. It’s a three-year commitment of attending a 2-hour monthly meeting in addition to a mandatory half-day retreat.

Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee is diligently planning its next event, which will focus on making disabilities inclusion a priority. We are excited to welcome Judy Heumann, an internationally recognized disabilities advocate and leader in the disability community. Judy has been featured in the award-winning documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution”, TED talks, was one of Time’s 100 Women of the Year, and is a published author. Mark your calendars for July 26th, this

Even more importantly, we need representation from ALL of our Chamber membership, whether they are small business owners or CEOs of our largest employers. The Chamber has long been a voice for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, which needs to be reflected in our board leadership. That includes a diversity of thought, so we need members who are open to sharing their ideas, even when they seem to go against the majority. is a speaker you will not want to miss! While it’s hard to believe we are at the halfway mark for 2021, we are already planning for the future and how committees and Chamber staff can work more efficiently to create great results for business. The Chandler Chamber continues to be an advocate for the business community and all members it represents.

We hope you’ll be inspired to apply HERE. If you aren’t quite ready yet, please consider joining or leading one of the many committees available at the Chamber. Those committees are a great entryway into board leadership, which in turn offers an experience as valuable to you, as your generous gift of time is to the Chamber.

Finally, we are planning for one of our Signature events – the Chandler 100! The Chandler 100 event has traditionally been one of our most well-attended programs as it honors Chandler’s largest employers. Keep an eye out for more information on this event to come.

On another note, the ASU Chandler Innovation Center is launching their co-working space and second part of the Embark Entrepreneurial Series on Wednesday, August 23rd at 9:30 AM. As the ASU Office of Government & Community Engagement Executive Director, I hope you will join us to celebrate the unveiling of this updated space.