Business Advocacy

Outgoing DED director reflects on agency changes Rob Dixon, director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED), returned to Springfield to speak to Chamber members for the final time in his current leadership role with the state during the second installment of the 2021 Public Policy Speaker Series on October 15. Dixon recently announced…

Looking at our community’s strengths and opportunities Since 1994, the Chamber has convened community leaders from the public, private and non-profit sectors for the Community Leadership Visit. The delegation of leaders travels to a peer city to learn from their experiences and bring back ideas that will benefit our region. This year, the CLV initiative…

State rep focuses on infrastructure, referendum reform State Representative Bill Owen has a unique history in the state legislature. The lawmaker from northern Greene County is in his second term in the Missouri House of Representatives, which started in 2021. His first term was from 1981 to 1982, followed by a long career in banking…

Nonprofits learn about local funding options through Non-Profit Roundtable Chamber non-profit members had the opportunity to connect with local funding organizations during the most recent meeting of the Non-Profit Roundtable. The Non-Profit Roundtable comprises over 90 executives from non-profit Chamber members and meets three times a year to hear timely programming updates. They also engage…

Lieutenant governor offers a look at his background and goals for the future Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe gave Chamber members insight into his life, legislative priorities, future goals and more during the Public Policy Speaker Series held on August 20. The lieutenant governor said he didn’t start out with any political ambitions, nor was he…

Governor highlights strong economy, encourages vaccinations at State of the State The Chamber’s fourth annual State of the State event, held at JQH Arena on the Missouri State University campus on July 27, featured Missouri Governor Mike Parson touting the state’s continued economic strength and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, while encouraging eligible Missourians to…

First-year state reps highlight priorities, importance of bipartisanship Working across the aisle for the betterment of the community was a common thread at the Chamber’s Governmental Relations Committee meeting with three first-term lawmakers from the Springfield area. Representatives Bishop Davidson, Betsy Fogle and Alex Riley were all elected to serve in the Missouri House in…

A highly successful legislative session concludes in Jefferson City When the 2021 legislative session concluded on May 14, it had ultimately proved to be a successful year for several long-term business community priorities. Throughout the session, the Chamber advocated for several member-driven, board approved legislative priorities through written testimony, member outreach, in-person meetings, and virtual…