Are We Leading on AI Implementation?

Glenn Morris, President/CEO, W.A.C.E.

​There has been a lot of discussion lately among Chamber leaders about how—and if—we are actually using AI.  Most of us have played around with it a little, but there’s still a lot of "wait and see" happening in our industry.
I get it. We all have enough on our plates without trying to figure out the latest tech trend.  I know I’ve personally gotten really excited about the potential of one tool or another, but then when I get back to desk, the to-do list takes over and by the time I turn back to the new idea, I’ve forgotten what I thought I understood and it feels overwhelming to get started again.  
But I think there’s a bigger leadership piece here. Our members look to us to be the voice of the business community, and that means we need to be out in front of the tools that are changing how work gets done.

Think about it: we’re constantly telling our members to innovate and stay competitive. If we want that message to mean anything, we have to walk the talk. When a local business owner looks at the Chamber, they should see an organization that isn't just talking about the future, but actually operating in it.
Leading by example doesn’t mean you need to be a tech expert. It just means showing your board and your members that your Chamber is willing to evolve. It doesn’t have to be about mastering the magic solution that revolutionizes everything.   Even if all we do is use these tools to cut down on the "grunt work," it frees up our teams to do the high-value, face-to-face work that actually builds our communities.  If we can show our members how to save five or ten hours a week by working smarter, we aren't just a membership organization anymore—we’re a model for their own success.
At the end of the day, we have an obligation to lead. If the Chamber isn’t the one demystifying these new ways of working, someone else will. Our communities expect us to be the lighthouse in the middle of all this change. We can’t point the way if we aren't willing to make the trip ourselves.
That’s exactly why W.A.C.E. is launching the AI Learning Labs this April. We’ve built two specific tracks—one for those steering the ship on strategy, and one for the staff doing the day-to-day heavy lifting. It’s 100% Chamber-focused and designed to move us from "curious" to "capable."
Our members are looking to us to set the pace. Let’s make sure we’re the ones showing them the way.

W.A.C.E.'s AI Learning Labs program launches April 2026. You can learn more and register at this link.

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