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Preparing for a New Year with New Leadership

Throughout the past twelve months, our nation has experienced unparallel adversity forcing us all to conduct business differently. Businesses and nonprofits across the country were forced to adapt to pandemic restrictions and are now adjusting to our “new normal” as we emerge. But through these challenging times, the Greater Phoenix Chamber continues to lead our community forward, providing critical support for existing businesses, and advocating for pro-business, pro-recovery policies at the federal, state, and local levels.

During these unprecedented times, much of the Chamber’s  success in navigating  the pandemic has been in large part due to the leadership of our esteemed board members.

In a year unlike any other, we were fortunate to have the steady leadership of our Board Chair John Wolfe, Senior Vice President and Region Manager of Cox Communications. John has been involved with key projects, including our workforce development efforts. His insights were instrumental as we remained steadfast in our commitment to strong public policy efforts on behalf of our members, and implementing new initiatives, including two new workforce collabroatives, a Diversity & Inclusion program for businesses, and increased efforts to benefit Arizona students through ElevateEdAZ..

As we embark on a new fiscal year, our primary focus is to support the Arizona’s business community during this period of economic recovery. I look forward to working with our incoming Board leaders and members as we navigate these ever-changing times and develop solutions that provide direct value to our members and to the community at large.

We are proud to have Christina Noble, Chief Growth Officer for Sonora Quest Laboratories, serving as our incoming Board chair. Erin Mettille, Sales Director for Slalom Consulting, will serve as this year’s Chair-elect and will be prepared to lead the Chamber in FY23. Christina has been a thoughtful and engaged leader since she joined the Chamber board, challenging us to better meet the needs of our members with thought-provoking questions, a keen eye for data and analytics, and an ongoing desire to better understand the evolving needs of Arizona’s business landscape. Erin has proven herself to be a rising star within the Chamber, beginning her leadership experience as a board member and eventually, board chair of the Valley Young Professionals, and rising through the ranks of the Chamber board.

In addition to new Board leadership, we’ve also welcomed 17 new directors to our Board. These are leaders who bring with them diverse backgrounds, experiences, and talent at a critical time.

As we continue leading during these rapidly-changing times, we are diligently developing programs that support getting Arizona back to business, ensure employers have critical tools for staff training, and provide critical resources for reopening, talent development, and economic prosperity.

Our new leaders, our entire Board of Directors, and my outstanding team—will be vital as we redefine our economic development efforts, scale key projects of our Foundation, amplify our voice and advocacy on behalf of businesses, and expand our platform to help more businesses find their new normal while still building valuable business and community connections.

As we move forward into FY22, you can rest assured that the Chamber will be there for your business! I encourage you to get involved through your membership by joining a Public Affairs committee, engaging in our economic development efforts, learning more about our Foundation, and attending one of our virtual events or development programs.