President’s message

Prosperity requires a comprehensive approach. Talent, a key component of workforce development, is something the Chamber long ago recognized as crucial to the future of our community. We realized the need to elevate workforce and talent, and defined it as so important to our community’s vitality that we rewrote our mission statement to include it nine years ago.

That need has only intensified. With the continued aging of the workforce and deepening talent gap, attracting and retaining the right talent has hit critical levels in many cases. This hits business deeply as employees are the lifeline/heartbeat of a business.

As the Chamber continues to evaluate our scope, and ensure it is well-balanced and holistic, we have introduced critical programming, services and initiatives. A significant one was the introduction of the Greater Green Bay Economic Development Strategic Plan in May 2017, a 76-page guidebook based on nearly 400 community leaders’ input. That, in turn, launched eight task forces led by community members to drive 11 plan initiatives forward. All those initiatives fall under the umbrella of economic development strategy and yet, many also fit under the category of workforce development. Namely, work related to the need for the acquisition of talent in a world driven by a global economy and an increasing number of remote working opportunities accelerated by COVID-19. One piece of fulfilling the need to attract talent is highlighted in this issue. I am very pleased to introduce the Greater Green Bay Community Concierge program, a new offering to help businesses showcase all Greater Green Bay has to offer to candidates or new hires. Its purpose is to significantly – and strategically – enhance the recruitment and integration process through a four-pronged approach: talent recruitment, reception, integration and retention. As with many of our program offerings, the concierge program wasn’t created in a silo; it is the culmination of a nearly five-year process that involved business leaders, human resource managers and other community stakeholders to bring this program to life. Read more about what this strategic plan offers to local business; Morgan Doshi, our director of talent spearheading the program; and other insights in this issue.

Another item that has been in motion for two years: all the groundwork for establishing a Greater Green Bay community-branded website that tells the story of Greater Green Bay. We are well aware of the need of someplace online to send people considering a move here so they can read an encapsulated version of who we are, why we are unique and why they should move here. But, alas, a talent attraction website is not built overnight. I have been among those to learn the road to success is paved with thorough research and creative processes, and our due diligence will make it meaningful, impactful and relevant to our end users. I recognize how important it is to be clear on the messaging so other people can love Greater Green Bay as much as we do.

This new, much-needed and much-anticipated offering builds upon all the other critical work we are doing. The pandemic has prompted us to re-evaluate what we need to be competitive and understand your business’s changing needs in a world that is still largely working remotely, working differently. Even CEOs of large corporations are telling us that a five-year strategic plan may not be feasible as the world changes; we need to be more flexible than that. So, we are continuing to evaluate what we need to be competitive with the business community as our customer. I have participated in numerous 30-minute calls with each Chamber board member and one message has risen to the top: that while it is important to maintain a company or organization’s mission, it is equally important to evaluate and re-evaluate what you are doing based on the needs of the customer. You, our members, are our customers, and the concierge program is the latest outgrowth of what YOU tell us you need. It is not the Chamber building it; instead, we are filling a need through these ever-changing times. I am sure more change awaits in 2021, and you can count on us for purposeful change that fits with our mission and vision.