Leader to Leader: Trusted Source of Information

W.A.C.E.’s “Leader to Leader” column poses timely questions to Chamber leaders across the Western region to provide valuable insight and ideas to our readers.
This month, we asked:
“Share how your Chamber is 1) reinforcing their position as a trusted source in their community, and 2) leveraging that position to keep members informed on what's real (vs what's media hype) in today's quickly changing environment.”

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"Noticing a gap in local business and government news coverage, our Vice President of Business Advocacy launched a weekly City Council Bulletin several years ago. The content focuses on Chamber priority issues while sharing the complete council agenda. We thank council members for positive votes that support business. During the every-other-year State Legislative Session, the Bulletin turns toward state legislative coverage. One member wrote: 'The Chamber’s Bulletin keeps us informed and ahead of the curve when it comes to City Council issues. The value we get definitely makes it worth being a Chamber member.'"
- John Brewer, President & CEO, Billings (MO) Chamber of Commerce

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"Vail Valley Partnership is consistently and constantly reinforcing our position as a trusted source by consistently engaging with stakeholders through data-informed insights, open communication, and partnerships with local institutions including nonprofits, schools, governments, and (of course) businesses. This is evident through our track record of delivering valuable programs, convening community educational forums, and advocating for regional needs, which increases and maintains our credibility and relevance.
Leveraging that trust to keep members informed is a key goal. We are able to provide local context and updates on economic trends, policy shifts, and other issues by filtering noise from national media narratives and focusing on local impacts. We seek to cut through hype to deliver facts and practical implications for businesses in the Eagle County region. We do this through a strong editorial voice (weekly newspaper editorial column) as well as focusing on maintaining a regional involvement and leadership positions in various statewide, regional, and local boards that help shape opinion."
- Chris Romer, President/CEO, Vail Valley (CO) Partnership

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"We’re reinforcing our role as a trusted community voice by hosting timely, policy-focused events like our recent Legislative Advocacy Roundtable on Tariffs in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. By bringing in experts like Jennings Imel to speak directly with our local business leaders, we provide clarity on complex issues like federal trade policies and offering facts that matter to our members. These roundtables create space for open dialogue, real-world insight and informed decision-making, helping our members stay ahead in a fast-changing environment."
- Zeb Welborn, President/CEO, Chino Valley (CA) Chamber

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