For Our Future

BizTUCSONApril 20, 2026

3 minutes read

New Chamber Program to Train Next Power Players

By Jay Gonzales

When the words “economic development” and “competitiveness” enter a business conversation, The Chamber of Southern Arizona is determined that young leaders in the region fully comprehend the terms.

It’s why The Chamber launched its Emerging Leaders Program, a 10-month comprehensive education program for under-40, mid-career professionals on the rise at private sector businesses to help them steer regional success.

The program description states: “The Chamber is committed to identifying and unleashing the next generation of Southern Arizona’s power players and business executives for leadership succession – young leaders who are prepared for advanced leadership roles in their own companies and in the wider community to move this region forward and drive economic growth and prosperity.”

“This is really laser-focused on two major things,” said Michael Guymon, The Chamber’s chief advocacy officer in charge of the program. “One is our economic development side. Really doing an in-depth, deep dive into issues that are in and around economic development.”

“On the business advocacy side, we based the programming on our ‘competitiveness agenda.’ Most chambers call it a legislative agenda, but it’s a set of prescribed positions that we take on a variety of issues.”

Before its merger with Sun Corridor Inc. to form The Chamber of Southern Arizona, the Tucson Metro Chamber had a similar program. The difference, said Chamber President and CEO Joe Snell, is that participation in this new effort is driven by the companies and corporations who are identifying their best young leaders and sending them to the program.

“The Chamber’s Emerging Leaders program provides tremendous value not only in its curriculum, but in the caliber of individuals it brings together,” said Shawn Blubaum, regional director at Sundt Construction. Courtney Hoyt, a business development representative with the company, is in the program. “Opportunities like this provide participants with a broader, more strategic understanding of the local landscape that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.”

The first session was held in March and served as an overview of the program’s goals and expectations. The remaining nine sessions cover the following issues:

• Business and economic climate

• Targeted industries

• Talent and education

• Infrastructure

• International trade and commerce

• Entrepreneur ecosystem

• Quality of place

• CEO session

• Capstone

It’s not so much a program that provides skills and training – something that companies often provide with benefits like tuition reimbursement. Instead, it provides knowledge that attendees can use for the good of the region and their businesses, Guymon said.

“We believe that investing in our people is the most strategic investment we can make,” said Elisa Ross, chief experience officer at Hughes Federal Credit Union. The company has two participants in the program, VP of Finance Brian Hoskins and Lending Operations Manager Nichole Pacheco.

“I hope they return with a deeper understanding of the local business landscape, establish meaningful connections with peers across industries, learn from top leaders in our community, and bring back fresh ideas and renewed energy for their teams,” Ross said.

The Chamber has already lined up several local business leaders and CEOs as presenters for every topic, with the common theme of economic development and competitiveness.

“We need to be talking about why the free enterprise system is healthy for our economy,” Guymon said. “We need to talk about why having a more competitive environment, from a business standpoint, is important for our economic future and vitality. It’s knowing more about what makes our economy tick in this region.”

Snell added: “We’ve got to look at succession planning, not just within our companies, but for this community.”

Perhaps a future mayor completes the program or another participant who could influence future policies and business decisions for the region, Snell said.

“They’ve got to understand what the issues are, understand economics,” said Snell.

Likewise, Guymon said, the program aims to get participants outside of their companies or comfort zones to see how influencers in the community work and how they get things done.

“The companies themselves can only do so much,” Guymon said, pointing to programs like tuition reimbursement and specific industry training. “Those are hard skills, but you still need to have outside influencers sitting down with these folks and saying, ‘Here’s your bubble within your company, but there’s a whole community out there.’

Participants are already seeing the value. “What excites me most about this program is the relationships we’ll build, the kind that turn into lasting collaborations that lift the entire Tucson community,” said Dave DiCosola, managing partner, UAVenture Capital, LLC.

There are 35 participants in the initial program.

The final session will be a capstone project where participants, either in groups or individually, will be assigned a local economic development or competitiveness issue to tackle and provide a fresh perspective.

“It will be some issue that is facing our community that needs a fresh perspective,” Guymon said, “and at the end of the program, deliver some of their thoughts and recommendations on how we can effectively deal with that issue.”