Working It: Chamber Membership
In our spring | summer issue of the magazine, guest contributor Matt Metzger of Leadership Tap painted a vivid picture of a chamber of commerce as a kind of village square. What he meant is simple but powerful: the Chamber is a community—a place where business isn’t just transacted, but where relationships are built, wisdom is shared, and people invest in something larger than themselves or their individual organizations.
As we highlight elsewhere in this issue, successful networking and meaningful membership are rooted in connection, not collection. The goal isn’t to gather leads—it’s to give, listen, share, and support. Metzger puts it best: “In the process of connecting and giving, something incredible happens—everyone grows!”
A perfect example of that mindset comes from Chamber Ambassador Nick Milovich, production specialist and business technology consultant with Adams Remco. He openly shares how he approaches membership—and why it matters.
“When I am asked by my fellow members and co-workers why I am active with the Chamber, I tell them you get out of the Chamber what you put into it. I know it sounds cliché, but it is true,” Milovich says.
He goes on to explain how the impact of that involvement became clear over time. “For the first five years of me being active with the Chamber, my company would ask every year if the Chamber membership was worth it. In the fifth year of being asked, I did the calculations of business that I had referred to me in those five years, and I had $550,000 of business referred to me. With me averaging over $100,000 a year for a $600ish per year investment—that sounds worthwhile! But you have to be active to make it make sense for you."
And as Milovich emphasizes, that success didn’t come from being handed leads. “This is not the Chamber handing me leads. The results are from the relationships and trust that I have built through networking events the Chamber offers.”
His story reflects what we believe at the Chamber: membership becomes most valuable when it becomes personal. When members engage with one another, show up, make connections and share resources, the entire community benefits.
So here’s our encouragement to you: connect with your fellow member businesses. Support them. Refer them. Get to know the people behind the logos. In today’s world—filled with endless online options—don’t overlook the trusted network right here at home. Start with the Chamber’s online business directory, and reach out to our staff anytime you need help finding a resource or making a connection.
This community works when we all work together. And when we do, everyone wins.