Derek Miller, president and CEO of both the Salt Lake Chamber and new Utah Chamber, explains the statewide chamber’s formation during a recent media roundtable in Salt Lake City. Joining him at the event are (from left) Jamie Andrus, president and CEO of the Cache Valley Chamber of Commerce and co-chair of the Utah Chamber’s Chamber Coalition; Erin Laney Barr, managing director and market leader at CBRE and vice chair of the Utah Chamber board of directors; and Aaron Starks, president and CEO of 47G and co-chair of the Utah Chamber’s Industry Council. (Photo courtesy Salt Lake Chamber).
What has existed as “Capital City by Name, Statewide by Mission” is undergoing some changes.
The Salt Lake Chamber, with roots dating back to 1887, will narrow its focus with the formation of the Utah Chamber. The Salt Lake Chamber will continue to concentrate on the Salt Lake metropolitan area, while the Utah Chamber will work to unify the state’s business community, 60 local chambers and industry associations “by providing a strong, coordinated voice to strengthen Utah’s economy, support job creation and address statewide challenges.”
“I want to stress that the Utah Chamber will not replace any local, regional or specialty chambers or any industry associations,” Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber, said during a media roundtable about the creation of the Utah Chamber. “In fact, it will work to elevate them, increasing access to resources, expertise and providing a strong voice, especially in legislative matters.”
The Utah Chamber will work with chambers, including the Salt Lake Chamber, to ensure that business interests are supported at every level statewide.
“These two chambers will work collaboratively with each other, and with chambers of commerce and industry associations across the state, to tackle challenges associated with continued growth, the workforce, housing, transportation, livability, business environment and natural resources,” Miller said.
Organizationally, Miller will serve as the Utah Chamber’s president and CEO. Erin Laney Barr, managing director and market leader at CBRE, will be vice chair of the Utah Chamber board of directors. The Utah Chamber’s Chamber Coalition will be co-chaired by Jamie Andrus, president and CEO of the Cache Valley Chamber of Commerce, and Curtis Blair, president and CEO of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce. Representing business and industry associations, the Utah Chamber’s Industry Council will be co-chaired by Aaron Starks, president and CEO of the 47G Utah aerospace and defense association, and Howard Headlee, president and CEO of the Utah Bankers Association.
The Salt Lake Chamber represents the interests of the state’s 63,000-plus employers, which employ more than 1.4 million Utahns. Its organizations with statewide missions — such as the Women’s Business Center of Utah and the Economic Development Corporation of Utah — will become part of the Utah Chamber. Others with a more local focus, such as the Downtown Alliance and Downtown Farmers Market, will remain with the Salt Lake Chamber.
The state’s growth, in population and development, prompted the formation of the statewide organization, speakers said at the media event.
“As the state continues to grow and new challenges and opportunities present themselves, the need for Utah’s business community to speak with a unified voice has never been greater,” Miller said.
Speakers said the Utah Chamber will unify and amplify the voices of entities throughout the state and work to address their needs and opportunities.
“The capital city has a different business environment than other areas of the state,” Laney Barr said. “Transferring statewide initiatives and responsibilities to a statewide chamber allows for a more tailored approach for a growing Salt Lake City while also providing more focused efforts in other areas of the state.”
Utah has diverse geographies and communities, Andrus noted. “The creation of the Utah Chamber will allow for better understanding and perspectives of all businesses — large or small, rural or urban — as well as each individual chamber of commerce,” she said.
The local chambers will guide and provide input to the Utah Chamber, she added. “As their voices are magnified and advocated, their needs and concerns can more thoroughly be understood and addressed,” Andrus said.
Starks marveled at the growth that has taken place since the Salt Lake Chamber was formed in 1887, predating even Utah statehood in 1896.
“In 1887, I don’t think that chamber members then would have ever imagined a moment like this, where the state had grown to such an extent where there were 60 chambers statewide — that’s an amazing feat — each representing their own constituencies [and] 29 counties,” Starks said.
“The need to be unified is greater now than it ever has been. There are 330,000 small businesses in the state of Utah. We lead the nation in SBA lending per capita. It’s vital that we have a vibrant and robust network of chambers representing local companies on and off the Wasatch Front, and, importantly, that those chambers have a unified voice in representing their constituency companies.”
Gov. Spencer Cox hailed the Utah Chamber’s formation as an example of Utah’s renowned collaborative spirit.
“Utah’s economy thrives because elected officials and business leaders work together every day to increase opportunity and prosperity for all Utahns,” Cox said. “This ‘Utah way’ is exemplified by the new Utah Chamber, a coalition of local chambers and industry associations that will collaborate to continue our state’s economic success.”