Dear Illinois Chamber Members,
As I write this letter, I celebrate the first anniversary of my role as the leader of the Illinois Chamber. I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve shared and express my heartfelt gratitude for your support and dedication.
When we first came together a year ago, our goal was to engage this iteration of Chamber 2.0. In a typical iterative fashion, the “2.0” version of storied organizations like the Illinois Chamber is the next generation of what the chamber has been for the Businesses of Illinois. Your Advocate and Voice as it has been since the chamber was first organized in 1919. It isn’t that previous versions were ineffective; instead, it is that the business climate in the state compels us to adapt our game, if you might, to meet the evolving needs and challenges of businesses of all types. All good organizations look within to doing so continually, which is the journey we have been on this year.
As I set out one year ago, I was tasked with assessing the landscape of the Illinois business environment and revisiting the strategic plan that will guide us over the next five years. In this assessment, I had the honor of visiting areas of the state such as Mt. Vernon, Effingham, The Quad Cities, East St. Louis, Marion, Chicago, Schaumburg Corridor, DuPage County, and many others. On this listening tour, I enjoyed seeing the diversity and richness of the Illinois Business Community. I was welcomed openly with hospitality and a desire to engage and have the Chamber work for them. Here, I heard of the economic challenges you all face, but mainly of the opportunities to balance government and the private sector and the need to develop a competitive business climate for our great state.
As we engaged in our strategic planning process, we rooted it in our Vision Statement:
The Illinois Chamber of Commerce is the pre-eminent business organization of choice with the impact of transforming the commercial experience for all the businesses in the state by creating a business climate supportive of growth for all existing and new businesses.
This Vision is rooted in our foundational and shared values: Integrity, Collaboration, Leadership, Transparency, and Accountability. These values crystalize who we are with each other as a team and, most importantly, how we will engage with our members and business colleagues.
Our mission: As the leading business organization in Illinois, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to advocating for a competitive business environment that is pro-growth, Pro-Business, and pro-Illinois for all businesses.
Aside from our signature Chamber Day and Annual Luncheon, we launched a few successful new initiatives in this first year:
- Bridge Builder Award
Simply put, businesses do not know ideology, as political parties represent businesses in their districts. In our current polarized world, we need more bridge builders who, regardless of ideology- put their constituents first and the needs of the businesses in their community. The newly developed Bridge Builder Award is given to one Democrat and one Republican from the Senate and House. These individuals exemplify bipartisan leadership in working across the aisle to create a business environment conducive to growth. Yes, growth is not redistribution of money from one group to another, but organic growth. That is what Illinois needs more of.
Our team was honored to present Senator Meg Cappel, Senator Jil Tracy, and Representatives Eva-Dina Delgado and Jeff Keicher with the inaugural Bridge Builder Awards. Congratulations! We look forward to our next cohort of awardees at the 104th General Assembly.
- Symposium Series on Supply Chain and Energy
We held two new Symposium Panels, convening thought leaders on applying technology and innovation to supply chain management and driving economic growth via innovation and energy. These panels offered members an excellent opportunity to network and gain new insights into how the world of supply chain management has evolved post-pandemic and how innovation and energy can be economic drivers for the state’s economy. Stay tuned for a more robust series in 2025 focusing on the “Future Of” various sectors driving economic growth in Illinois.
- International Business Council
With the global nature of our world today, we saw fit to reignite our International Business Council, a natural fit for our Foreign Consulates in the state as we seek to develop more avenues of Foreign Direct Investment that assist the existing businesses as suppliers and developing channels of reciprocal trade with other parts of the world. In the first year, we launched four signature events that connected our members with countries such as Kazakhstan, Argentina, the EU, Indonesia, and many others, and this has proven to be one of our most popular endeavors this year.
These achievements directly result from your passion, commitment, and engagement with your state chamber. Your participation has been invaluable in helping us expand our range of offerings in 2024.
We are excited about the possibilities as we look ahead to the coming year. We are planning even more opportunities for you to connect, grow, and thrive in your business endeavors. We will continue to focus on advocacy, education, and building a supportive community that drives value for your business.
Thank you again for being part of this incredible journey. We could not have come this far without you, and we look forward to what we can accomplish together in the year ahead. Please do not hesitate to reach out with ideas, questions, or opportunities for collaboration—we are here for you.
Here’s to a Safe, Happy, and Healthy Holiday Season. We look forward to bigger and better endeavors in 2025!
Yours in Fellowship,
Lou Sandoval
President & CEO, Illinois Chamber of Commerce