What the Chamber means to Flagsta

from Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce 130th Anniversary

Long-term members

Chamber bridges together Flagstaff businesses

Flagstaff is built of businesses of many sizes. The business climate varies drastically from large businesses employing thousands to small storefronts and shops run by only a handful of people.

Regardless of size, many face the same challenges. The Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce has helped them navigate whatever arises for the last 130 years.

The Chamber is an independent, non-profit organization focused on promoting Flagstaff businesses and advocating on their behalf on the local, statewide and national levels.

Chamber President and CEO Julie Pastrick explained that the Chamber’s business relationships are diverse working with large institutions like Northern Arizona University and APS to fledgling businesses navigating their first year.

The Chamber Advocacy Division led by Joe Galli creates a solid base of research for Flagstaff by conducting surveys and convening meetings around important topics that directly impact the business community, such as labor force, environmental sustainability, healthcare, affordable housing and other similar topics. Conducting this research and collaborating with businesses makes it easy for the Chamber to make decisions that directly benefit business growth in Flagstaff.

“We are solely privately funded, therefore our relationships with our investment partners are quite strong,” Pastrick said. “Representing business before government is a major role the Chamber plays daily. Chamber programming serves as a catalyst for businesses and nonprofits’ success and growth. We believe a healthy business climate and a vibrant community are inseparable.”

The Chamber engages the community on issues important to the local economy, leading to many collaborations by connecting businesses to one another. The more than 800 members come from throughout the business sector, encompassing Flagstaff’s restaurants, insurance companies, banks, large corporate retail shops, apartment complexes, and so many other industries. This has benefited companies like OneAZ Credit Union numerous times in recent decades.

OneAZ Regional President Northern Region Miguel Maldonado explained that working with the Chamber has been critical to developing relationships with other Flagstaff businesses and the community. The credit union currently works with more than 9,000 businesses throughout Arizona, and Maldonado contributes their reach to the long-term partnership with the Chamber.

“The Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce is such an important part of the Flagstaff community,” Maldonado said. “The Chamber truly connects Nestle Purina Plant Manager Bill Calloway presented the Business Achievement Award for economic impact in 2012.

business owners and leaders throughout Flagstaff. This allows us to build bonds with businesses and makes our entire community stronger. Whether it’s connecting businesses or organizing events to give back, the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce helps to make Flagstaff a friendlier and better place to live.”

NAU is another such community partner. NAU President José Luis Cruz Rivera said the relationship between the Chamber and NAU has greatly benefited the advocacy of education in Flagstaff. With the help of the Chamber, NAU has been able to connect students with local internships while they are in school and find jobs after graduation, allowing them to stay in Flagstaff and contribute to the community.

“The Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce has supported NAU’s initiatives to address critical education and workforce needs for the community and region,” Cruz Rivera said. “As a convener to help identify the needs of businesses and bring organizations together to partner on internships and job placement, the Greater Flagstaff Chamber serves as an important partner in advocating for increased access to postsecondary education and the connection to a vibrant economy.”

See CHAMBER OUTREACH, Page 18

To learn more about the Chamber and its community engagement efforts, visit www.flagstaffchamber.com/about-the-chamber/

Chamber outreach

From 16

Dave Cosper, a certified public accountant and partner at Haynie & Company, commended the Chamber for its ability to unite the community through every challenge and celebration Flagstaff has faced during the past century.

“At Haynie & Company we strive to exceed expectations. This is something the Flagstaff Chamber has done for 130 years,” Cosper said. As proud members of the Chamber, we look forward to many more years of serving the Flagstaff business community together.”

Many of the Chamber’s members have invested in that partnership for decades. One of the longest-standing members is APS. After 66 years of collaboration, APS Public Affairs Manager Janet Dean said APS feels Celebrating the new lift expansion at Arizona Snowbowl.

strongly about supporting the Flagstaff community, and that they have been able to put this into action with the Chamber.

“We’re really pleased and proud of our relationship with the Chamber because we have a lot of synergy in what we’re trying to achieve as organizations,” Dean said. “APS is really focused on helping build vibrant diverse communities and we see small businesses as the backbone of our communities. Our partnership with the Chamber aligns beautifully because the Chamber is also focused on small business and advocating for small business and helping them overcome barriers.”

APS often sponsors Chamber initiatives and events, like sponsoring the annual Ready, Set, Code Camp, the ATHENA awards and small business education programs. Dean said this is because these initiatives align with APS’ desire to help elevate STEM careers, small businesses and business owners.

That same level of support extends to Flagstaff’s small businesses, such as The Toasted Owl restaurant. Founder Cecily Maniaci said she appreciates the way the Chamber always helps support Flagstaff businesses by keeping them up to date on anything that could impact them.

“For my business, they have helped me be a better businesswoman and member of the community by keeping me informed and helping my business grow and thrive through connections, advertising and educational events within the community,” Maniaci said.

The Chamber has served as a constant light in the darkness for Toasted Owl, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For my business specifically, the Chamber had enormous outreach during the pandemic and after,” Maniaci said. “They provided websites and signage saying who is open and who needs help. They encouraged everyone not to give up and to reach out if the Chamber could be of assistance. For the Owl, the whole Chamber team was a positive outreach during these turbulent times.” D e a n agreed, adding that this support was critical to many small businesses weathering the pandemic. “They really stepped up during COVID,” Dean said. “They helped make sure that small businesses’ voices were heard and that the small businesses had access to resources like funding or other resources they might have needed. This was during the past couple of years, which have been some of the hardest years Flagstaff small businesses have faced.”

Every year, the Chamber hosts the annual ATHENA Awards to celebrate Flagstaff’s women in business who have achieved excellence, served the community and cemented their place as a notable figure in Flagstaff’s business world. In 2007, The Young Professional Award was added, which celebrates an emerging businesswoman in Flagstaff.

The Chamber touts itself as a community problem solver, and the strong relationships with Flagstaff businesses further proves this self-proclamation to be true.

W. L. Gore & Associates has been operating in Flagstaff since 1967. Through the years, our global innovation has helped solve complex technical challenges in demanding environments — from outer space to the world’s highest peaks to the inner workings of the human body. As Gore continues to grow, our 2,500 Flagstaff-based Associates will continue to innovate and manufacture medical devices to improve lives. Congratulations to the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce for its 130th Anniversary and supporting local businesses – big and small.