​W.A.C.E. recently updated the Member Portal associated with our website and membership database.    Members who log into the website now have easier access to “member-only” resources, and increased control over their membership records.
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The W.A.C.E. Academy Committee is charged with ensuring that the content delivered during our annual programs represents the best practices available to create a solid foundation for successful chamber management.   Additionally, they are charged with identifying dynamic, successful leaders who can share that knowledge as members of the Academy faculty.
 
W.A.C.E. is fortunate to have a solid core of faculty who return each year to share their experience and that of others with our attendees.  We’re also fortunate to have a large network for resources we can turn to when it’s necessary to replace a faculty member.

From where I sit, one of the Chamber industry’s biggest challenges continues to be communicating value.

Words definitely matter when trying to convey what chambers of commerce do – their purpose.
W.A.C.E. has tried to assist and address the messaging challenge with the 3Cs:

• Catalyst for business growth
• Convener of leaders and influencers to get things done
• Champion for a thriving community

​While out doing workshops and speaking gigs the past two years, I was impressed that while many have fully embraced the 3Cs, some chambers had embraced their own “3-word messaging” as a way to more clearly tell their story. The 3-words were posted on websites, printed on business cards, on pull-up banners, board agendas and letterhead.

​When the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce launched the STAART Program — Stockton Takes Action Against Retail Theft — we weren’t just addressing a growing problem, we were answering a call. Our local businesses were frustrated. Residents were concerned. Retail theft was impacting not just individual stores but entire commercial corridors and neighborhoods. As a Chamber, we kept hearing concerns at meetings, ribbon cuttings, through business communications with a common theme: business owners and consumers alike felt helpless.
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STAART was built to address this head-on. After hearing from businesses and Chambers of Commerce across San Joaquin County, we partnered with the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a formal pathway for collaboration. The idea was to take a proactive approach: combine technology, visibility, and community engagement into a toolkit that businesses and residents alike could use to report, respond to, and ultimately prevent retail crime.

W.A.C.E.’s annual Staff Salary & Benefits Survey is one tool designed to advance two of the three Imperatives in our current Strategic Plan. Specifically, Imperative 1 challenges us to provide Chambers with industry best practices. Imperative 2 commits W.A.C.E. to advancing the Chamber leadership pipeline.
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W.A.C.E. is committed to ensuring that the Chamber work is viewed as a profession and a career. One key to that positioning is to advocate for Chamber staff professionals being paid appropriately.
Based on the data collected from members, it appears that wages increased for many positions, although not all.   It appears that economic pressures, along with changing areas of focus in the work being done by Chambers led to impacts on wages with positions focused on economic development, workforce, or program management seeing increases while other more traditional roles were more likely to see no gain or even reductions over past years.

Chambers of Commerce across the country are increasingly playing a role in workforce development, adapting to address the needs of businesses and job seekers alike. At Vail Valley Partnership (VVP), we have long been engaged in workforce development and more recently recognized the pressing need for a structured workforce development initiative tailored to our local community.

​That’s how Vail Valley Works was born. Vail Valley Works is a program designed to equip professionals at all stages of their careers with the skills, connections, and leadership capabilities necessary to thrive in Eagle County (CO). Eagle County, home to Vail and Beaver Creek ski resorts, presents a unique set of workforce challenges. Like many rural resort-based economies, we contend with high living costs, a seasonal labor force, and an ongoing demand for skilled professionals across various industries. Employers across sectors—hospitality, healthcare, construction, and more—struggle to attract and retain qualified workers.​

Leadership in the chamber industry is about more than just guiding an organization—it’s about inspiring progress, fostering innovation, and making a lasting impact on the communities we serve. At this year’s W.A.C.E. Annual Conference, we proudly recognized individuals who embody these qualities and more. These award winners are the visionaries, changemakers, and trailblazers who set the standard for excellence, leading with curiosity, courage, and commitment. Congratulations to the following 2025 individual award recipients:

W.A.C.E. is proud to recognize the outstanding achievements of chamber professionals who have set the standard for excellence in communications. This year’s award winners have demonstrated exceptional creativity, innovation, and impact in key categories, including email newsletters, video, and website development. Their efforts not only enhance member engagement and strengthen the voice of chambers across the region but also serve as great examples for other chambers to follow when communicating with their members and communities.