Casey Steinbacher is the president and CEO of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, and as the nation pulls out of a recession, the Chamber’s function has become growlingly necessary and intriguing. Steinbacher’s main function is to work with members of the Durham business community to create and maintain a healthy economic climate. The Chronicle’s Kelly Scurry recently spoke with Steinbacher to discuss the vital role she and the Chamber play in Durham, as well as their future plans for economic expansion and innovation in the growing Bull City.
Kelly Scurry: What is the role of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce?
Casey Steinbacher: We are a member-based organization. Businesses pay dues to support our programs. The Chamber’s main initiatives deal with business development and community development.
KS: How did you originally get involved?
CS: I was recruited by the [Greater] Durham Chamber [of Commerce] from South Florida, where I worked with a chamber of commerce. I have worked in local government for 10 years and have a degree in urban planning.
KS: Is the Chamber working with city and/or county officials on Durham redevelopment projects?
CS: We are the official economic development organization for Durham County. We are the organization that sits across companies that want to expand or move to Durham.
KS: What resources does the Chamber provide to help people build their businesses?
CS: We have a variety of resources. We have the whole breadth of spectrum of business from small, medium, to large companies. Depending on where you fall on the spectrum determines the resources the Chamber provides.
KS: Does the Chamber have any programs or initiatives that support youth entrepreneurship?
CS: We have a full-time staff person who deals with Talent and Work Development. We spend as much time on the talent pool side of the house as on business side of the house. We have programs that deal with children from birth to age five as well as providing elementary, secondary and adult education to aid entrepreneurship.
KS: In what ways do Chamber programs and activities support minority businesses—specifically those of African-Americans, who during segregation created separate chambers of commerce, and Hispanics, a fast-growing segment of the Durham population.
CS: We also have an African-American Chamber of Commerce in Durham [Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce] and a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Raleigh. We work closely with black organizations to offer entrepreneurship and networking programs. In addition to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Durham Chamber of Commerce works closely with El Centro and the Latino Credit Union to promote collaborative opportunities between organizations and business.
KS: Does the Chamber collaborate with other community organizations?
CS: Yes, we collaborate with regional partners on economic development and other chambers of commerce in the region. In Durham, we collaborate with city and county officials and the Center for Entrepreneurial Development. We work with whatever organization we need to ensure the success of our programs.
KS: Has the economic downturn affected the Chamber or forced it to redirect its efforts?
CS: Like every organization, the Chamber looked to see if we are being as efficient as possible in our product and delivery modes. We reached out to our member-businesses to do the same.
KS: In what ways does the Chamber lobby the state government to support pro-business policies?
CS: We have a full-time director of public policy and staff who work on [the Chamber’s] behalf. The Chamber could be seen as playing a role of advocacy. Many of our members rely on the Chamber to work with local government for a variety of purposes, such as licensing or creating funding for community transit.
KS: Does the Chamber work with Duke or any other local universities and educational institutions?
CS: Every minute of every day. We are actively engaged with Duke. The chairman of the board for next year is a Duke employee. The Chamber also [hosted] an event with North Carolina Central University on June 21. Duke and NCCU are huge assets to our community and making sure they continue to grow is a big part of what the Chamber of Commerce does.
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