Monthly Roundup - February 2025
Economic and Community Development / February 1, 2025
- A coalition of 60 Pennsylvania chambers of commerce and economic development associations are called on the governor and state lawmakers to address the childcare workforce crisis impacting families and employers throughout the state. The group is advocating for the inclusion of $284 million in the state budget to fund a comprehensive childcare teacher recruitment and retention plan.
- The Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce held a childcare summit to bring together lawmakers, business leaders and nonprofit executives to discuss ways to improve access to childcare.
- The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce released its comprehensive guide to address local housing supply issues: The Road Home II initiative. This paper focuses on building consensus and understanding about the local housing supply crisis and the proposed solutions, particularly the chamber’s Employer Sponsored Housing Consortium program.
- Grand Rapids Chamber highlighted key initiatives during its annual meeting, including its ongoing effort to add more housing in the region and major projects like Acrisure Amphitheater and the Amway Soccer Stadium. The chamber is looking to address housing needs through the corridor strategy, which would take vacant property in underutilized commercial corridors and turn it into dense neighborhoods with several different types of housing.
- The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber held its annual legislative lunch, which highlighted key priorities like workforce development, infrastructure, education, public safety and more.
- Chamber Benefits, Inc. (CBI), a subsidiary of the Greater Memphis Chamber, announced that the chamber has teamed up with Cigna Healthcare to offer health plans designed to improve health and help lower costs for area businesses.
- The Greater Omaha Chamber unveiled its ambitious vision for the future, transforming the region into a model of economic vitality by 2027. Based on ardent research of where the region ranks amongst its peers, the chamber’s 2025-2027 economic development strategy seeks to address critical challenges while amplifying Greater Omaha’s strengths in business growth, talent retention and quality of life.
- The Georgia Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Georgia Department of Education awarded $2.1 million in grants to rural school districts for projects designed to increase workforce readiness. The program supported more than 17,000 students in 64 rural school districts, impacting more than 250 business and industry partners.
- The Greater Phoenix Chamber announced its 2025 legislative priorities, which include supporting increased funding for K-12 education, fiscally responsible infrastructure investments and promoting business-friendly regulatory policies to spur economic development.
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