Emerging Cities Council
The Emerging Cities Council is for selected chamber CEOs that typically run the main chamber in small to mid-sized cities. Members of this group communicate via a group email list and occasional conference calls (archived below). In-person meetings occur regularly, perhaps twice a year. Additional meetings and interchanges may occur at the regional level and can possibly include a senior staff person at the group's approval. Membership in the group is on a case-by-case basis; while many chambers qualify according to the demographics, overall group size hovers around 40.
Demographics for the group include:
- Participants: CEOs
- Chamber membership: Membership of about 1,000
- Community: Population of metro/greater area of 100,000 - 250,000
- Chamber revenue: about $750,000
- Chamber competitive geography: Largest chamber in region to allow for open peer-to-peer dialogue
Emerging Cities Conference Calls/Webinars
2020
- January 2020 - Communicate Value as Chambers and Creating Clear Messaging, Jonathan Packer, SVP Customer Experience, Austin Chamber of Commerce
- February 2020 - Economic Development Programs, Henry Florsheim, IOM, President/CEO, Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce
- March 2020 - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives, Kenneth James, Director of Inclusion at the Grand Rapids (MI) Chamber
- May 2020 - Best Practices and How Chambers are Adapting/Evolving to Remain Relevant Post-Pandemic, Sheree Anne Kelly, President & CEO, ACCE
2019
- January 2019 - Dues Structure Elimination, Tom Baldrige, President/CEO Lancaster Chamber of Commerce
- February 2019 - Workforce Housing/NIMBY Jamboree, Chris Romer, President/CEO Vail Valley Partnership
- March 2019 - Business Leads Fellowship Program - Haley Ast, Manager, Programs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
- May 2019 - Leverage Your Foundation to Increase Gross Revenue and Services to the Community - Dave Adkisson, President and CEO, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
- June 2019 - Compensation/Bonus Structure - Cathy Burwell, President and CEO, Helena Area Chamber of Commerce
- September 2019 - The Value of SIMSOC to Community Leadership Programs - Brent Henley, The Pyramid Group
- October 2019 - OneVoice Process/Fly-in Logistics - Elizabeth Osburn, SVP, Government Affairs, Tulsa Regional CoC
2018
- January 2018 - Strategy for board member search/Engage board in community leadership/board succession planning
- February 2018 - Leadership programs and YP's
- March 2018 - How to effectively engage our member employers and drive E2E conversations (audio not available)
- May 2018 - Chamber’s role in supporting and/or developing local bond and levy campaigns
- August 2018 - Board Goals Group discussion
- September 2018 - Entrepreneurial Operating System
- October 2018 - ACCE Strategic Plan Overview
2017
- January 2017 - Chamber Benchmarking
- February 2017 - Government Affairs
- March 2017 - Non-Traditional Chamber Revenue Sources
- May 2017 - Create Subculture Executive Search Insight 2017 Webinar
2016
- January 2016 - Horizon Report
- February 2016 - Resource Alignment
- March 2016 - Member Service
- April 2016 - Catalytic Leadership
- May 2016 - Horizon Report Wrap Up
- October 2016 - Small Business Support
- November 2016 - POWER 10 Strategic Initiative Webinar
- December 2016 - Open Discussion with Mick Fleming, ACCE President and CEO
Contact Tenja Young if you're interested in more information.
ACCE thanks Funding Solutions for its support of the Emerging Cities Council.
