Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce

[Conan71]

The Chamber moved out of that building years ago. They now reside in the Williams towers at 3rd and Main

See, that's another PR problem they have!  No one can find them!!

[Townsend]

See, that's another PR problem they have!  No one can find them!!

Probably smart to hide.

[bacjz00]

Funny timing

Tulsa Metro Chamber finalist for national honor

by: STAFF REPORTS
Monday, June 07, 2010

The Tulsa Metro Chamber announced Monday it is one of two finalists for the Nation's Best Chamber award, an honor it already has received twice in the past four years.

The award is given annually by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, which is based in Alexandria, Va., and represents more than 7,000 chamber professionals. It recognizes excellence in operations, member services and community leadership. The other finalist is the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

The winner will be announced Aug. 5 at ACCE's annual conference in Milwaukee.

The Tulsa Metro Chamber qualified for the award when it scored favorably in a national overall operations survey. It became a finalist when its programs and operations were selected as being among the best in the nation by a panel of chamber-industry professionals.

"Tulsa's chamber is predominantly one of the strongest in the nation and an industry leader," said Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Metro Chamber.

"The Tulsa chamber demonstrated our success in community leadership and organizational strength by being among the top in the nation for financial and membership growth as well as making a measurable impact on key community priorities in areas like economic opportunities, education, transportation, health care and cultural vitality," said Matt Pivarnik, executive vice president of the Tulsa Metro Chamber.

The local chamber qualified for the award in 2005 and won the award in 2006 and 2008. A chamber is not allowed to compete the year following the selection as winner.

The Tulsa Metro Chamber was established in 1903. It represents 3,000 member organizations, approximately 175,000 area employees and utilizes 3,400 volunteers.


http://www.tulsaworld.com/site/articlepath.aspx?articleid=20100607_298_0_TheTul474072

[Townsend]

Well I'm certainly glad they took this opportunity to fully outline everything they've ever accomplished.

[Rico]

All this talk regarding the City not having money for this, the City not having money for that, Simonson making more than the Mayor...

What's up with the Chamber's cut?  Is it immune from scrutiny or, asking businessmen that benefit directly from a lot of the actions that we pay them to do, not being looked at as a possible new cash flow source?

Is that not thought from outside the box?

The current "status quo" agreement that we have with the Chamber does not work all that well.... Let's look at replacing it with something else for a while.

They can always be given their money tree back if we find they are truly all that and a bag of chips.


For the record: I have an alibi.... for the recent flammable money tree incident.

[Conan71]

How do they quantify the following:

"The Tulsa chamber demonstrated our success in community leadership and organizational strength by being among the top in the nation for financial and membership growth as well as making a measurable impact on key community priorities in areas like economic opportunities, education, transportation, health care and cultural vitality,” said Matt Pivarnik, executive vice president of the Tulsa Metro Chamber."

IOW, how do they specifically tie chamber actions to improvements versus the community at large or corporations acting on their own?  This isn't so I can throw more darts, I'm simply curious what the mechanism is for measuring such effectiveness.  I'll gladly pipe down on my criticism, I simply find it ironic that their national peer group association finds them one of the best and yet they have a significant PR problem here at home.  That's something they might want to address.  This simple press release isn't what I have in mind.  How about specific projects they shepherded through which improved "economic opportunities, education, transportation, health care and cultural vitality".  I'm seriously curious how transportation improved recently, what the Chamber would have done to improve health care when St. John's & St. Francis regularly plough profits back into facilities and OU and OSU expanding their med school presence seems to have come from private donations and state level action.

I guess what I'm saying is I still have the notion that the Chamber is taking credit for things which would have happened with or without them.  Please feel free to dispell that notion with some facts and figures.

[Townsend]

http://www.acce.org/

Established in 1914, ACCE is the only national association serving the professional development needs of chamber professionals throughout the United States and Canada. Representing more than 7,300 individuals, ACCE enhances the knowledge, leadership skills, and management effectiveness of chamber executives and their staff through education, benefits programs, trend analysis, benchmarking, and network development. ACCE promotes the highest standards of professional excellence and integrity within the chamber profession.

So anyway, that's who keeps awarding our esteemed Chamber.

I have a feeling our Chamber members would say "the what now?" if we asked them how they felt about the ACCE.

[Townsend]

The Tulsa Metro Chamber is very proud of itself.

http://ww3.tulsachamber.com/news.asp?id=327&newsid=519






$2.8 million was donated to them.  What will they do with it?

I still have no idea.

[Conan71]

The Tulsa Metro Chamber is very proud of itself.

http://ww3.tulsachamber.com/news.asp?id=327&newsid=519






$2.8 million was donated to them.  What will they do with it?

I still have no idea.

They are good at self-back patting

[sgrizzle]

See, that's another PR problem they have!  No one can find them!!

The downtown wayfinding system directs you to roughly the area of the offfice building they're in.

[Townsend]

The downtown wayfinding system directs you to roughly the area of the offfice building they're in.

Anywhere near the Tul Com Col?

[Townsend]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=46&articleid=20100623_46_E1_Topara193475

To paraphrase Johnny Cash, Dave Nolan has been everywhere, man.

He's been the head of convention and visitor bureaus in Milwaukee, Cleveland, Ohio, and currently Toledo, Ohio, and his past work for Marriott International moved him to Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles and six other cities.

Now Nolan is headed to Tulsa to be senior vice president of VisitTulsa, the convention and visitor program at the Tulsa Metro Chamber, and he says Tulsa compares well to cities where he has worked.

Anyone know if this is a step forward?  How's Toledo doing under his leadership?

[we vs us]

From Toledo's ABC affiliate:

Destination Toledo leader steps down
Thursday, June 17, 2010



The man responsible for marketing Toledo is leaving at the end of July.

Dave Nolan has been with Destination Toledo for 15 months. He's leaving to take a new job amid a cut in funding for his operation.

With big attractions like the new Huntington Center and Fifth Third Field, Toledo has worked hard to get tourists to town. And it's worked.

The arena's attendance alone will be 50 percent higher than predicted this year and more conventions are coming to town.

But Lucas County cut funding for the convention and visitors bureau by $500,000 this year. And the man who runs marketing for Destination Toledo announced last week he's leaving for a job in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Nolan says, "It's not that I would suggest that I'm running away or desiring to leave the city. It's certainly nothing with negativity. It's just an opportunity to provide stability."

The local economy is always an issue and next year will probably bring another funding cut. Obviously Dave Nolan is trying to be diplomatic about this whole thing, but there's no denying that when you go from a budget of $1.2 million down to $700,000, about a 40 percent cut, it's going to have an impact on what you're able to do. Blame less revenue from the hotel bed tax for the cut.

County commissioner Pete Gerken knows he's losing a valuable asset, but he believes Lucas County can learn from what Nolan has done here. "He taught us a lot about how a convention and visitors bureau can work and we're certainly better off for having had him here and I wish him luck in Tulsa. I hope this is the opportunity to at least look at this with more interest and say 'Yes, this is about job creation, this is about revenue generation'."

Sometimes you have to spend money to make money, but right now Lucas County cannot afford to spend extra money.

Dave Nolan says he thinks Toledo can build on his success. He leaves the end of July. Gerken says an in-house candidate could soon replace Nolan."


My .02:  I don't know the guy from Adam but at this point any leadership is good leadership.  The CVB needs a definite direction and they've been on hold for awhile now.  So it's a win (of sorts) in my book.

[Conan71]

He sounds like a go-getter and did great work for Toledo.  Welcome to Tulsa!

[Rico]

From Toledo's ABC affiliate:

Destination Toledo leader steps down
Thursday, June 17, 2010



The man responsible for marketing Toledo is leaving at the end of July.

Dave Nolan has been with Destination Toledo for 15 months. He's leaving to take a new job amid a cut in funding for his operation.

With big attractions like the new Huntington Center and Fifth Third Field, Toledo has worked hard to get tourists to town. And it's worked.

The arena's attendance alone will be 50 percent higher than predicted this year and more conventions are coming to town.

But Lucas County cut funding for the convention and visitors bureau by $500,000 this year. And the man who runs marketing for Destination Toledo announced last week he's leaving for a job in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Nolan says, "It's not that I would suggest that I'm running away or desiring to leave the city. It's certainly nothing with negativity. It's just an opportunity to provide stability."

The local economy is always an issue and next year will probably bring another funding cut. Obviously Dave Nolan is trying to be diplomatic about this whole thing, but there's no denying that when you go from a budget of $1.2 million down to $700,000, about a 40 percent cut, it's going to have an impact on what you're able to do. Blame less revenue from the hotel bed tax for the cut.

County commissioner Pete Gerken knows he's losing a valuable asset, but he believes Lucas County can learn from what Nolan has done here. "He taught us a lot about how a convention and visitors bureau can work and we're certainly better off for having had him here and I wish him luck in Tulsa. I hope this is the opportunity to at least look at this with more interest and say 'Yes, this is about job creation, this is about revenue generation'."

Sometimes you have to spend money to make money, but right now Lucas County cannot afford to spend extra money.

Dave Nolan says he thinks Toledo can build on his success. He leaves the end of July. Gerken says an in-house candidate could soon replace Nolan."


My .02:  I don't know the guy from Adam but at this point any leadership is good leadership.  The CVB needs a definite direction and they've been on hold for awhile now.  So it's a win (of sorts) in my book.

Yeah sounds great.... Kinda like when they were being scrutinized another time and hired a fellow named "Gosnell"

praise for Mr Gosnell

Byline: John Stancavage

Mar. 30--Darryl W. Gosnell is senior vice president of economic development for the Tulsa Metro Chamber. He joined the chamber in October 2005 to direct its strategy for Tulsa's Future, a five-year initiative to create 10,000 jobs at an average $45,500 salary and an additional 16,000 secondary jobs. Prior to that, Gosnell managed economic development programs in Des Moines, Iowa; Dayton, Ohio; Greenville, S.C.; and Gainesville and Miami, Fla. He has also held positions with the Florida Department of Commerce and the West Virginia Department of Commerce. Gosnell was born in Martinsburg, W.Va., and received a bachelor's degree in ...

If you want another promise that the Chamber is going to really be worth what they are paid..... I'm quite sure they will make it. More than likely hire, (=spend part of the money we give them to hire someone that our tax dollars would allow us to hire without them) that will give the appearance that we may get a lot of bang for the bucks.

My opinion.. for what it is worth. We have local talent that could do the job equally as well if not better. We have other needs for the monies being given to a bunch of business people that make a promise equivalent to a "free lunch".
These business people benefit from their actions spending our money.
No chance of a conflict there.... is there?

We have very little if any control over their agenda. Just like having a City Department, City funded, yet they do not have to answer to the City.

More praise from the Tulsa World when they heralded the arrival  of Mister Gosnell.


New chamber exec likes Tulsa potential

Darryl Gosnell, senior vice president of economic development at the Tulsa Metro Chamber, says he wants to create a buzz nationwide about the city.

By LAURIE WINSLOW World Staff Writer
Published: 2/12/2006
Last Modified: 4/30/2008  12:34 AM



As a newcomer to Tulsa, Darryl Gosnell is excited by what he sees happening in the metro area.

The community over the next two to three years will experience a tremendous upswing, not only in business activity but in downtown revitalization as well, he believes.

And Gosnell looks forward to being here and doing his part to develop the metro area's economy.

In October, Gosnell became senior vice president of economic development for the Tulsa Metro Chamber. Over the last four months, his department has focused on developing a work plan, budget and staff realignment.

Gosnell arrived here from Des Moines, Iowa, where he worked as the economic development leader for the Greater Des Moines Chamber.

Last week, Gosnell sat down in a conference room at his new workplace to talk about his plans.

Although he had been in Oklahoma several times before his move, he had never set foot in Tulsa until he came for a job interview. But now that he's here, Gosnell hopes to stay a long time.

"I like everything about Tulsa, and I think we're going to be very successful over the next few years," he said.

Gosnell's work is not easy, however, because competition for jobs among metro areas is ferocious.

"Each year there are more communities competing for economic development, and there are fewer projects," he said. "So, this is about as competitive a field as you can be in."

Gosnell said 70 percent to 80 percent of all job
growth and new capital investment comes from the expansion of companies that already exist in a community.

"Your first priority needs to be to take care of what you already have," he said.

A lot of communities put more emphasis on recruiting companies rather than focusing on the ones they have. Groundbreakings and big job announcements may generate a lot of excitement, but it's those week in and week out job expansions of, say, 25 to 50 employees at smaller companies that are the bread and butter of local economies, Gosnell said.

"We want to be much more aggressive in working those small deals," he said.

With more than 30 years of experience in economic development, Gosnell brings with him an enjoyment for what he does.

"It's a job where you can, I think, get a certain degree of satisfaction from being able to see things that you worked on come to completion, whether it's new companies that you helped bring into the community or local companies that you've helped expand," he said.

The chamber's economic de velopment division has a staff of seven. Gosnell also leads the Tulsa's Future program, a five-year plan to raise $9 million from the business community.

The goal of the program, which includes five strategies, is to create 10,000 primary jobs in the metro area with a targeted average annual wage of $45,535, and 16,000 secondary jobs with an average annual wage of more than $28,600.

The capital campaign is close to being wrapped up, and Gosnell said he expects it will meet or exceed the $9 million target.

"It's a very good place for us to start, and if we're able to exceed that goal, that would be even better," he said.

Tulsa has a lot working in its favor right now, Gosnell said. With the passage of the Vision 2025 sales tax, many community projects are under way, and downtown is getting ready to rebound with the building of the BOK Center and interest by out-of-state investors who have purchased several buildings.

"We want to be part of helping generate a buzz around the country about what is happening in Tulsa," Gosnell said. "The more of that curiosity we can fuel, then the more opportunities we'll have for people to take a look at the community.

"If we can get people to visit here, we do a very good job of selling them, but we need to increase the amount of traffic, both for individuals and companies that look at the area."

Marketing efforts and one-on-one visits with corporations that have a vested interest in the community will be key to economic development, he said. The chamber has developed a list of major companies with headquarters outside of Tulsa that have operations here.

In addition to working with local companies to identify suppliers and vendors that might want to relocate to Tulsa, Gosnell advocates making more visits with corporate officials outside of the area, in part to thank them for their investment in the community. But, also, the chamber needs to be on the lookout for consolidations or acquisitions and to learn of layoffs before they occur, he said.

In January, Gosnell was in Dallas with representatives of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and other Oklahoma communities to help host a reception for site selection consultants and business executives. While there, he stopped by a company that owns a small manufacturing business in Tulsa to meet with the president.

"That was a great opportunity to thank them for their expansion plans here in our community and to offer our assistance in the future," Gosnell said. "There may be a couple of more expansions that come out of that same company over the next couple of years."

This month Gosnell, together with Department of Commerce and some corporate officials, heads for Singapore to attend an air and space show, where the Oklahoma contingency will have a booth.

"Those are the kinds of things that we think it's important that Tulsa is involved with," he said.

Marketing also will be important to Tulsa's growth and image throughout the country. And by marketing, Gosnell does not mean advertising. The chamber wants to be active with the Department of Commerce in statewide initiatives to market Oklahoma.

"We've done some of that in the past; we want to do even more of that in the future," he said.

The Tulsa area's list of selling points is long -- good schools, affordable housing, short commute times, and low costs for living and doing business. That is much different from the East and West coasts, where many corporations are based, Gosnell said.

"I think Tulsa is another one of these midsize metropolitan areas in the country that are becoming more and more in demand by people across the spectrum."

and where is Mister Gosnell these days anyway?

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/10/alliances-new-leader-has-been-all-over-map