Greater Phoenix leader named Chairman of National Group

Todd Sanders, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Chamber, was recently named chairman of the Western Association of Chamber Executives (WACE).

WACE’s mission is “to enhance and promote the professional growth and competence of Chamber of Commerce Executives.” The group focuses on emerging trends and the best practices they have found to help chambers across the nation.

Since taking the role as president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Chamber in 2009, Sanders said he has learned the importance of flexibility and community teamwork.

“I think one of the strengths that I’ve seen over time in the business community is the diversity, and the diversity of opinion, and the ability for us to come together and really create solutions out of genuine challenges,” Sanders said.

Sanders explained that some of his top priorities for 2019 are pushing bills forward at the state legislature and the “drought mitigation plan.”

The team at the Greater Phoenix Chamber will also continue to tackle workforce challenges.

“There is a pretty strong demand still for us to meet some of the challenges on the workforce side,” Sanders said. “We’re looking to scale the activities we started in [2017] and [2018] to really start to meet that demand in a real way.”

Last year, WACE recognized Sanders as the Executive of the Year based on his expertise in finance, legislative action, membership service and communications.

“Sometimes it’s good to be able to stop and look back and see that you accomplished something and you’re really meeting the goals that you set out in terms of the mission of the organization,” Sanders said. “So, really it was an honor.”