A few weeks ago, I wrote about Colorado’s dramatic slide in national business competitiveness rankings and the warning signs our state can no longer afford to ignore. Recently, the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce continued that conversation by co-hosting hosting a Colorado Competitiveness Roundtable in partnership with the Governor’s Office, the Colorado Office of…
What does the future of Western Colorado look like? On August 19th, it looked a lot like 180 young professionals gathered at Colorado Mesa University to learn, connect, ask important questions, and consider the role they want to play in what comes next. Now in its fourth year, the Western Slope Young Professionals Summit has…
For more than a decade, the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) has given Mesa County students something bigger than an introduction to entrepreneurship: the opportunity to build and launch a real business. Now in its 12th year locally, YEA! takes students in grades 6–12 through a 20-week entrepreneurial journey from…
What happens when you put nearly 200 members of the business community on a golf course for the day? A lot more than golf! On Friday, September 25th, the 33rd Annual Grand Junction Area Chamber Golf Tournament returns to the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa, bringing together business leaders, frontline team members, colleagues, clients, and…
Earlier this summer, the U.S. Department of Labor contacted the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce because of the Chamber’s work championing industry-led solutions to one of the most pressing challenges facing employers today: attracting, developing, and retaining skilled talent. Through initiatives like West Slope Works, apprenticeship expansion, sector partnerships, and the intentional convening of…
If you’ve spent any time at a Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce event, you’ve felt it. The ease of walking into the room at Networking@Noon. The familiar faces greeting you at Business After Hours. The introductions that happen naturally at a Quarterly Membership Luncheon. The sense that you are not just attending something, you…
Each year, I look forward to the release of the Edelman Trust Barometer. Not because it tells us something new, but because it puts language and data behind what many of us are already feeling here at home. This year’s report confirms it. The divide is growing. Seventy percent of people worldwide now have what…
One of the most impactful moments in the Young Entrepreneur Academy each year is the CEO Roundtable. It is where ideas meet experience and where our students get the opportunity to step out of the classroom and into real conversations with leaders who have built, led, and grown organizations right here in our community. Last…
As I look at the future of Mesa County, I keep coming back to one simple truth: if we are not intentionally investing in young professionals today, we are leaving the future of our workforce and our community to chance. This isn’t just about filling jobs. It’s about cultivating leaders. For years, we’ve talked about…
Celebrating Ag Awareness Week March 14th-24th Long before Grand Junction had a modern business ecosystem, it had an industry that ignited the valley. Agriculture. During Ag Awareness Week, I find myself reflecting on that history and the role agriculture has played in shaping our community. As the CEO of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of…