The Chamber of Southern Arizona Officially Kicks off
The Chamber of Southern Arizona, a groundbreaking merger between Sun Corridor Inc. and Tucson Metro Chamber, was officially unveiled May 2 amid a packed resort ballroom full of Southern Arizona stakeholders.
At the kickoff luncheon at JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa in front of more than 700 attendees, regional and congressional leaders lauded the merger as a true example of regionalism and sharing resources.
“We’re creating a bigger, bolder and more unified voice for the entire business community in Southern Arizona,” said Susan Gray, president and CEO of Tucson Electric Power, who will chair the new Chamber.
Sun Corridor Inc. and the Chamber boards of directors announced a planned merger of the two organizations in December. Both organizations agreed to come together with a unified business voice, strategy and resources to address the region’s biggest economic development challenges and opportunities that impact business relocation and expansion.
“It’s historic because mergers like this, they’re rare,” said Joe Snell, who will serve as Chamber president and CEO. “They usually aren’t possible to pull off because of issues such as turf wars, competition and egos that usually derail these types of initiatives before you get started. We really feel good about this.”
This move will solidify Tucson and Southern Arizona as a region exploring new ways of leading and bringing together diverse businesses of all sizes, as well as trade and civic groups to develop bold, creative solutions to regional issues.
The organization’s new mission aims to drive economic growth and prosperity through job creation in the region by uniting business advocacy and development efforts, fostering an environment where businesses thrive, and promoting Tucson and Southern Arizona as a vibrant economic hub on both domestic and international stages. Its functions will include business attraction, retention and expansion; talent attraction; competitiveness; advocacy/public policy; emerging leaders; and small business support.
In addition to the leadership roles of Gray and Snell, Michael Guymon will serve as Chief Advocacy Officer.
