When Jenn Tracz first volunteered for the newly formed NGLCC affiliate, Connecticut Alliance for Business Opportunities (CABO), in the fall of 2007, she told a friend that one day she hoped to be the LGBT chamber's first executive director.
In December of 2009, that wish came true.
While Tracz's position is part-time—it is the first and only paid position at CABO—she says the chamber is hoping to make it a full-time position by the end of this year.
Tracz's story is becoming increasingly more common. LGBT chambers and business organizations around the country are hiring paid staff members to respond to the record growth many LGBT business organizations are experiencing.
Mark Guenther, the recently hired executive director at the Capital Area Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CAGLCC), serving the Washington, D.C.-metro area, finds that there are challenges particular to being a chamber's first executive director.
"So far I've been working a lot of hours. I love it, but it's managing all the different things and being the center point for everybody now. That can sometimes be overwhelming," Guenther said.
Before taking the executive director position, which took effect in January, Guenther served on CAGLCC's board for four years.
Like Guenther, Sam McClure, the executive director of Quorum, the Twin Cities GLBTA Chamber of Commerce, served on the organization's board for many years before becoming president and then transitioned into the role of executive director three years ago. McClure is also the national chair of the NGLCC's Council of Chambers and Business Organizations (CCBO).
"Chamber leaders are starting to fully grasp what kind of infrastructure and creativity is required in order to maintain sustainable organizations that can foster programs and initiatives that give our members the opportunities they need to dramatically grow their businesses, create jobs and drive our local economies," McClure said. "We've got to do whatever is necessary to level the playing field for LGBT business people. We're all just beginning a long and powerful journey, and this trend towards staffed organizations is an important barometer of where we are in the business equality movement. It's an incredibly exciting time to do this work. If one is lucky enough to get one of these leadership roles, you have to give all you've got."
In addition to McClure, three of the NGLCC CCBO regional chairs are also paid executives for their chambers, including Steve Adkins at the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, Tony Vedda at the North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce headquartered in Dallas, TX, and Christina Pinson at the Chicago Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
The NGLCC sees the change as a sign of the maturation of the LGBT chamber movement—and the commitment of LGBT business owners to playing a larger role in their local communities.
"Local LGBT chambers are thriving for any number of reasons, but mostly because of the vitality and vision of LGBT business owners who feel that by coming together they can not only help themselves but they can be a force for positive change in the business community," said Kate Karasmeighan, NGLCC chief of staff and director of external and affiliate relations.
One chamber, the Independence Business Alliance (IBA) in the greater Philadelphia region, has chosen a different staffing path, turning to an association management company to handle its administrative needs, including answering phones during all work days, processing memberships and renewals, and assisting members with routine issues. IBA hired Alta Management in 2008, and has amended its contract with the company to increase the number of hours and responsibilities Alta provides to the chamber.
"The association management company provides stability and continuity to various administrative functions, but primarily it fulfills our high level of service to our members," said Bill Gehrman, president of IBA's board of directors.
IBA is now in the process of establishing a three-year plan, which, Gehrman said, includes increasing staff through its management company as well as the possibility of hiring its own staff.
"There will be many factors that determine the ultimate direction, but in the near future, we are very happy with the association management model and expect it will continue to meet our growing needs," Gehrman said.
And, of course, there are veteran LGBT chambers that broke the paid-staff barrier long ago, such as the Greater San Diego Business Association and the Greater Seattle Business Association, which have several employees on staff today to handle the day-to-day work of the chamber and its members.
When hiring the first executive director, it's common to look to someone on the board—a proven entity who has already shown terrific dedication to the organization. Tracz became CABO's marketing committee chair when the chamber first launched and also served on the board. "As an all-volunteer board, it's hard sometimes to get all the chamber's events promoted properly and make sure everything is running smoothly," Tracz said.
It's a decision that CABO's board has not regretted.
"We felt we needed an executive director to help us grow throughout the state," said Dena Castricone, president of CABO. "We knew it was a risk for such a young organization to hire staff but we also knew that CABO had great untapped potential. We knew that to reach that potential, we needed to go out on a limb and hire an executive director. In just a few short months, I can tell you that it is the best decision CABO has ever made."
For Guenther, the switch from board member to executive director has energized him—and the board. "The way our board set this up and the way we presented it really got everybody energized," Guenther said. "Honestly, I feel like there is more participation right now. It just feels like everybody wants to help, and board members are coming up with new ideas and they're excited, so it's been great so far. I haven't felt like a one-man shop at all."
Guenther said he is still getting a feel for where his time is best spent, but he has already made some strides in the chamber's corporate employee initiative by meeting with a Marriott employee, who immediately signed on to be a sponsor for the CAGLCC's 20th Anniversary & Awards dinner in April.
"You're never sure which effort is going to have the most return," Guenther said. "If it benefits the chamber to make a connection, I'm going to try to make a connection without spending too much time on something that may [not work out in the chamber's favor]."
Ken White, CAGLCC's board president, sees hiring Guenther as a natural extension of the work all the volunteers have done. He said the decision illustrates how the CAGLCC "has taken the organization to the next level, a level that will benefit LGBT business owners and entrepreneurs and open up new opportunities for partnership with corporations and other businesses."
The same is true at CABO. Tracz has been promoting the chamber in the community, working to bring more benefits to CABO's members and managing the chamber's corporate partners.
"As executive director, honing in on delivering our message and getting the benefits to our members is my focus," Tracz said. "We've signed on Aetna as our cornerstone partner, and that relationship alone requires a lot of work to make sure we're doing everything we've promised them. I think the growth in corporations that are interested in becoming partners, and the [continued] interest is where the need truly came for an executive director."
