The question came up in a recent chamber's board retreat and in the Facebook group...
Should chambers be involved in economic development?
The Facebook group thread made one thing obvious...
Chambers aren’t just part of economic development.
Chambers are economic development.
Look at the work chambers already do.
- Supporting existing businesses.
- Helping them find customers.
-
Running workforce programs.
- Advocating at city hall.
- Creating networking opportunities.
- Building talent pipelines.
- Promoting tourism.
-
Connecting entrepreneurs to resources.
- Marketing campaigns like Small Business Season
Every bit of it contributes directly to a stronger, more resilient local economy.
In most communities, lanes overlap. And that’s perfectly fine.
Chambers, EDOs, SBDCs, tourism departments, and city governments all touch different pieces of the same puzzle.
Collaboration beats turf wars every time.
The goal is the same: A vibrant business community. A thriving economy. More jobs. More opportunity.
Members don’t care who gets credit. They care that the work gets done.
Some chambers partner closely with an EDO. Some handle everything themselves. Some divide the work.
- Attraction.
- Retention.
- Expansion.
- Workforce.
- Policy.
No matter how the structure looks, chambers always carry a big part of the load.
When chambers focus on collaboration, communication, and connection, they naturally earn a seat at every table where economic development decisions are being made.
That’s where chamber voices belong.
Chambers are economic developers. They always have been.
It’s time everyone else caught up to that reality.
