At our November 18th meeting at Upstairs Maldaners, Mike Murphy, President and CEO of The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce (GSCC) provided our Club with an update on their initiatives that enable the Chamber to enhance its members’ success and advocate on their behalf (image below).
With approximately 1,300 members, the GSCC is the second largest chamber in Illinois.
The GSCC is a U.S. Chamber of Commerce 5-star accredited chamber and one of only six in Illinois. Accredited with 5 stars is the highest rating, and it signifies that the GSCC meets high standards in operations, programs, governance, and other areas across a comprehensive review process.
Mike explained that the GSCC aims to be a voice for business and an advocate for the wellbeing of our community and its economy. This result is accomplished through the following functions:
(1) Advocacy, which is accomplished via federal, state, and local elected official events and forums.
The GSCC also has partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to host a National Civics Bee. This civics competition encourages 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to engage in civics and contribute to their communities.
(2) Business Resources & Support, which encompasses events like an economic outlook breakfast, a disaster recovery seminar, job fairs, and an update magazine.
(3) Leadership & Professional Development, which includes:
• Leadership Springfield - 14 week series of half day programs during which participants gain leadership skills and in-depth exposure to critical issues affecting the Springfield area.
• RISE Springfield - Real Interactions Support Education (RISE) Springfield is the GSCC young professionals networking group that is designed to engage emerging business leaders ages 21-39.
• Ask HR Seminar
(4) Visibility & Connections That Matter, which are interactive events that GSCC members both sponsor and participate in to enable members to receive increased exposure and visibility. These events include, but are not limited to, the GSCC annual gala, Small Business Awards, and the Corporate Cup Challenge (golf tournament).
Our Club is thankful for the work President Murphy and the GSCC puts in to ensure the success of its business partnerships and vitality of our community. We wish them continued success.