By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Outgoing St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce President Patt Lilly says chambers have broadened their outlook over the years, viewing their role as building better communities, not just helping to create jobs.
Lilly says a chamber of commerce used to concentrate solely on economic development, but now must consider community development as part of its role. Lilly says chambers concentrating solely on job creation, leaving community development up to others, simply doesn’t work anymore.
“From a leadership standpoint, from a business leadership standpoint, we have to get engaged and involved in working with the community as a whole and providing business leadership to move issues forward that benefit not only the community, but businesses in the community,” Lilly says.
Lilly says that 20 years ago the St. Joseph chamber began working with Mosaic Life Care, Heartland at the time, on community engagement and community planning. The outgrowth was the Community Alliance of St. Joseph and the Imagine St. Joseph 2040 plan.
“The truth is, is that as you look at issues, as you look at concerns, as you look at challengers for the future, at the end of the day it’s about looking at ourselves as a community and saying we need to be better than we are,” according to Lilly.
Lilly says the broadening of the chamber’s role came about due to the input of its members.
“The business community came forward through the chamber and said the most important issue to us is supporting our school district,” Lilly says. “We have to find a way for this community to support our school district, because we have to be better: our educational attainment, the quality of education, the leadership has to be better.”