A Unified Voice for Business
The Chamber of Southern Arizona
By Jay Gonzales
Their missions were separate but complementary for decades. But now as one, the vision remains constant, though expanded, for The Chamber of Southern Arizona.
The Chamber, a merger of Sun Corridor Inc. and the Tucson Metro Chamber, has put the region’s economic development, advocacy and small business activity under one roof.
“Our mission is simple: To drive sustainable economic growth and job creation in Southern Arizona by uniting business advocacy and economic development strategies to foster a thriving business ecosystem,” said Chamber President and CEO Joe Snell. “We position Tucson and Southern Arizona as a leading economic hub through targeted business attraction, expansion/retention programs, talent development and small-business resources.”
Establishing the vision for the new organization with a wider reach and wider responsibilities was easier than anticipated, said Snell, who was Sun Corridor Inc. president and CEO before taking on those titles with the new chamber.
“It came together in a matter of months because it simply made sense,” Snell said. “Both organizations’ leadership recognized that they needed this bold step to come together with a unified business voice. That unification increases our political clout and expands our ability to meaningfully influence decisions that impact our economy.
“We recognized early on that the Chamber’s mission of serving small business and Sun Corridor Inc.’s mission of primary job development had to be effectively combined. Effectively creating a unified strategy and aligning both organizations’ strengths and membership audiences results in a much stronger economic foundation for the entire region.”
Tucson Electric Power CEO Susan Gray, who was chair of Sun Corridor Inc., has served as chair of The Chamber.
“We applaud the collective vision to make this happen,” she said. “The time was right for this merger to take place. Both organizations are able to accomplish more together than what each can accomplish alone.”
Starting in July, Alison Flynn Gaffney, CEO of Banner – University Medicine Tucson, will take over the reins from Susan Gray.
“Susan did a tremendous job, and I am excited to continue the momentum she helped build,” Gaffney said. “The Chamber is a strong organization, and I look forward to contributing to its mission to help our communities and the business ecosystems of Southern Arizona thrive.”
“The new mission is simply to serve all businesses in the region, large and small, in order to create jobs and economic prosperity,” said Fletcher McCusker, a Chamber trustee who serves as the board’s treasurer. “The merger required reimagining both organizations and establishing a pro-business narrative that has to serve any size organization that wants to call Tucson home and contribute to our economy.”
Though the merger is a year old, the Chamber is still gathering input on what it needs to be and how it can best help businesses in the region.
“Right now, we are hyper-focused on continuing to gain input from all stakeholders,” Snell said. “We’re engaging our councils and committees, small business investors, focus groups, and implementing event surveys to ensure we’re continuing to meet the needs of businesses.
“We can now leverage resources to enhance the quality and depth of programs for the entire business community,” Snell said. “We are focused on ensuring that we are a competitive market and are supporting the companies in the targeted industries.”
Among the enhanced strategies and initiatives is the formation of the Chamber’s Small Business Council, which assists small businesses in getting off the ground, scaling them and helping with advocacy in the issues that affect them.
A new Emerging Leaders Program is working to identify the up-and-coming business leaders with a program to give them insight into how the local economy works and the importance of being involved outside of their companies.
Programming is being revamped to address advocacy and economic development in everything The Chamber does, especially when it comes to helping businesses attract and keep the talent that is in the community.
“Talent attraction and development continues to be a top concern among business leaders,” Snell said. “With more concentrated focus and combined resources, there are immense opportunities to deliver stronger value to investors in this area. Talent attraction is a critical part of the greater effort to market our region and attract companies in targeted industries.”
Pictured above from left – Joe Snell, President & CEO, The Chamber of Southern Arizona; Susan Gray, CEO, Tucson Electric Power, Chair of the Board; Fletcher McCusker, CEO, UAVenture Capital, Treasurer. Photo by Brent G. Mathis
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