Chamber at 100
ABQ group’s new chairwoman strives to sustain its relevance in the Digital Age
In 1917, at a Rotary Club of Albuquerque meeting that was “considerably enlivened by a duet rendered by two of the club’s most prominent members,” the discussion turned to how best to develop the city’s fledgling business community. A committee was formed, reports were made and Rotary members created what would become the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.
Now, a century later, Meg Meister is leading the chamber into the future as the organization’s new chairwoman.
“I’m excited,” said Meister, a shareholder and transactions lawyer at Modrall Sperling. “One of the chamber’s slogans back in 1917 was ‘Forward Albuquerque.’ It shows that we’ve always been about what’s great for business here, and we’ll continue that tradition.”
Meister, whose tenure began July 1 and lasts for one year, assumes her role at a time of national debate over the purpose of chambers of commerce in the Digital Age. As boutique consulting firm Chamber Strategies wrote in a recent white paper, “The internet and social media provide so many options regarding business resources and networking that today’s chamber of commerce is under huge stress to visibly demonstrate its relevance.”
But Meister said the chamber is still vital to the business community here, in large part because of its outreach and lobbying efforts.
“The chamber isn’t just about networking; it’s about advocacy,” she said. “The business community needs advocates who can speak up about the legislation that might affect them, whether that’s paid sick leave or bond issues.”
Terri Cole, who has served as the chamber’s president and CEO since 1983, said the organization’s long history of advocacy is one of the reasons it has been so successful over the years. She also said the organization has had to be thoughtful about the way it approaches its networking practices, so as not to duplicate activities that could be easily performed over the internet.
“We take a very strategic approach to connecting our investors,” Cole said. “We divide them up by sector
and host events tailored to their specific needs. It’s about creating value.”
Grant Adams, president of heavy equipment company Komatsu Southwest, said he saw the fruits of that strategy as soon as he joined the chamber at the beginning of the year. Adams moved to New Mexico from Florida last summer and was looking for ways to make business contacts quickly.
“It’s been a great return on my investment,” said Adams, who is now on the chamber’s board of directors. “In my line of business, you have to bid on a project within a few days in order to get it. The connections I’ve made mean I’m on the forefront of deals.”
Priorities for coming year
Meister said one of her priorities will be to increase coordination between the chamber and other business-focused organizations such as Albuquerque Economic Development, the Hispano Chamber of Commerce, and the New Mexico chapter of commercial real estate association NAIOP. She pointed to Oklahoma City as an example of a municipality that has
“various (business interest groups) interacting efficiently.”
Meister said she is also excited about the work of the chamber’s three “bold issues groups,” particularly the committee devoted to education. She described K-12 education as an “economic driver,” as it relates to both educating the state’s future workforce and attracting residents of other states to the Albuquerque area. The other bold issues groups focus on downtown development and public safety.
The chamber’s public safety campaign attracted controversy earlier this summer when Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry was awarded by the chamber for his office’s crime-fighting efforts. Pointing to the city’s rising crime rates, the Albuquerque Police Officers Association, which has long been at odds with Berry, responded by giving the chamber its own “Most Out of Touch With Their Community” award.
Meister said the controversy was limited to a few vocal parties and “did not reflect the views of the broader business community.”
Meister grew up in Texas but went to summer camp in New Mexico and moved to Albuquerque after law school. She said she’s seen the city change significantly over the time she’s been here and predicts promising things days ahead for the business community.
“I think things are really moving in the right direction,” she said. “Obviously there’s a lot more work to be done, but we’ve had some pretty big successes recently, and we’ll have many more of them.”
Meister said the chamber’s centennial meeting— scheduled for Wednesday— will include a keynote speech by Lowell Catlett, a futurist and a former New Mexico State University dean.
“It seems right to have a futurist at this type of event,” she said. “It’s a good kickoff to an entire year of celebration.”
Meister did not comment on whether this meeting would be “considerably enlivened by a duet.”