|
The Temple Chamber of Commerce continues to invest in professional growth and national engagement. In early June, Bobbie Jo Young, Director of Membership Development, traveled to Madison, Wisconsin, to attend the Institute for Organization Management (IOM)—a premier training program by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Bobbie Jo proudly completed year one of the four-year certification program, which is widely recognized as the gold standard in nonprofit and Chamber leadership. The curriculum equips participants with critical tools in organizational strategy, financial stewardship, membership development, and ethical governance. Her attendance follows in the footsteps of Temple Chamber President & CEO, Whitney Theriot, an IOM graduate herself and reflects the Chamber’s strong commitment to ongoing professional development and excellence in service. Throughout the week, Bobbie Jo participated in expert-led courses on member recruitment and retention, human resources, communications, financial management, and volunteer engagement. Beyond the classroom, she began cultivating a national network of Chamber and Association professionals, exchanging ideas and learning from best practices across the country. Now back in Temple, Bobbie Jo is already applying insights from the program and preparing to rejoin her cohort for Year Two in 2026. The future is bright for the Temple Chamber—and it’s powered by professional growth, collaboration, and innovation.  “The Midwest IOM experience was more than just training—it was transformational. I came back not just with new tools, but with a bigger vision for how we can elevate our Chamber and better serve our Members. I’m already excited for Year Two!”
0 Comments
At the halfway point of 2025, the Temple Chamber of Commerce stands grounded in purpose and fueled by progress. What began as a year of bold vision and strategic planning has evolved into intentional alignment within our organization, through our partnerships, and across the business community we serve. If 2024 was a year of resilience and recalibration, 2025 continues to unfold with focus, energy, and forward motion. Our current work and priorities are driven and informed by feedback from over 200 stakeholders; and in the second quarter, we made meaningful progress in our core focus areas: Advocacy, Member Services, and Organizational Excellence. Temple Chamber by the Numbers We proudly welcomed 37 new Members in the second quarter, bringing our total to 70 new Members year-to-date, and our Membership to more than 1,000 strong! These businesses span healthcare, retail, professional services, and restaurants—each one strengthening the Chamber’s collective voice, network, and our local economy. This growth reflects both the value Members see in their affiliation and the continued trust placed in the Temple Chamber as a convener, connector, and catalyst for business. We celebrated 12 ribbon cuttings in the second quarter, marking 21 Member milestones so far in 2025. These events are more than just ceremonies, they remind us that behind every storefront or logo is a story—of pride, progress, courage, risk, resilience, perseverance, fulfilling a dream, and community. We get to be part of a business’s story and commemorate new beginnings, growth, reinvestment, and the entrepreneurial spirit. Advocacy & Community Development The Temple Chamber’s role as a voice for business remains a key focus area of our work. In the first half of 2025, we’ve taken meaningful steps to represent Member interests at the local, state, and federal levels—championing water infrastructure investments, workforce development, tax clarity, and education funding. We’ve convened policy briefings, met directly with lawmakers, and joined statewide and national coalitions to ensure that decisions made in Austin and Washington reflect the realities of doing business in Temple. Policy advocacy may not make daily headlines, but it is essential. It’s the steady, behind the scenes work that safeguards the conditions businesses need to grow and succeed. In 2025, the Temple Chamber helped stop harmful legislation that would have weakened local economic tools, supported bills that became law to strengthen public infrastructure and workforce pipelines, and defended nonprofit organizations, including chambers of commerce, from disruptive tax changes. At the local level, we’ve also worked with City leaders to elevate Member concerns and shape regulatory decisions with business in mind. This work is not flashy, it’s foundational; ensuring Temple’s business community is never an afterthought in policy conversations. Just as we advocate for business success, we continue investing in leadership development to shape the next generation of community stewards. We graduated the Leadership Temple Class of 2025 in May and honored Jon Burrows, Leadership Temple Class of 1989, as our 2025 Distinguished Alumni. The Class of 2025 Action Team Project, The Homeward Project, laid the foundation for long-term thinking around housing, repurposing, and wraparound services. We also received 34 applications for the incoming Class of 2026, an exciting indicator of continued interest in community leadership development. Member Services & Engagement From April through June, we hosted five networking events, including Business After Hours, Business Link Lunches, and a topical two-day workshop for small business called Profit Mastery in partnership with the Temple Area Builders Association and C.D. Bradshaw & Associates. Our midyear calendar wrapped with the Baylor Scott & White Health Community Showcase, an annual event hosted by the Temple Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the hospital system. This high-visibility event connects Temple Chamber Members to the new resident physicians, fellows, nurses, and staff of Baylor Scott & White Health. The event is a wonderful opportunity to spotlight the business community and welcome the new professionals and their families to Temple. These programs and events don’t simply fill calendars, they create real-world connections that spark referrals, reinforce local loyalty, and open the door to collaborative opportunities. We also researched and piloted interactive resources we plan to launch for the Membership later this year. Additionally, our Membership Directory in print and online continues to serve as a vital connector. In just the first half of 2025, the Temple Chamber’s online Business Directory delivered more than 3.1 million referrals—that’s over 17,000 opportunities a day for someone to discover, connect with, or support a Chamber Member. Every click, impression, and interaction is more than a metric—it’s visibility, credibility, and momentum for local businesses in a digital-first world. Organizational Excellence & Strategic Growth In June, the Board of Directors formally adopted the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, a Member-informed blueprint for the future that is both ambitious and adaptable. Published on the Chamber website, the Strategic Plan is a living document, flexible, responsive, and grounded in clear direction through 2030. We can confidently say we are aligned on where we’re headed, guided by shared goals, grounded in Member feedback, and moving forward in step with one another. Part of the plan includes quarterly updates and an annual report. Over the first half of the year, we also completed key internal governance updates, including amendments to the Bylaws, the development of a new Board of Directors Handbook, and the introduction of modernized operational policy documents. These foundational tools will support a strong, responsive, and future-ready organization for years to come.  What’s Next
As we enter the second half of the year, we remain focused on delivering results aligned with our Strategic Plan. Signature events like the Military & First Responder Salute to Service, Summer Sizzle “Seltzer”, and Chamber Golf Classic will bring the community together in meaningful ways that reinforce visibility, advocacy, and relationship-building. We’re also preparing to welcome the Leadership Temple Class of 2026 for their 10-month immersive journey later this summer, continue our engagement on policy priorities at all levels of government, and launch refreshed tools and programming that reflect our ongoing commitment to value, innovation, and Member impact. We enter this next chapter with clarity, energy, and a shared plan, confident in how our work contributes to the bigger picture in our community and business ecosystem. If it’s been a while since you’ve connected with the Chamber, or if you never have, now’s the perfect time. Reach us at (254) 773-2105—we’d love to meet you, hear your goals, and share how the Chamber can support your success. With summer in full swing, our team is focused, connected, and ready. As local physician, author, and speaker, Dr. Patsy Sulak of Living Well Aware (& Baylor Scott & White Health) says…Onward! On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, community and business leaders gathered at the Hilton Garden Inn-Temple to honor a Distinguished Leadership Temple Alumnus and celebrate the Leadership Temple Class of 2025 at the annual alumni and graduation banquet. Now in its fourth year as a combined event, this meaningful tradition was established by a Class of 2018 Action Team project. It provides a unique opportunity to strengthen alumni engagement, spotlight the graduating class, and share the impact of Leadership Temple on the broader Central Texas community. Proceeds from the luncheon benefit the Leadership Temple Tuition Assistance Scholarship, which enhances accessibility to the program for small businesses and nonprofits—ensuring the program reflects the full diversity and vibrancy of the Temple Chamber Membership.  Honoring a Champion of Leadership A highlight of the 2025 banquet was the presentation of the Leadership Temple Distinguished Alumni Award to the Honorable Jon Burrows, a member of the Leadership Temple Class of 1989. Presented by Dr. Christy Ponce, President of Temple College and Temple Chamber Board of Directors, Vice Chair of Business and Community Development, the award celebrated Burrows’ decades of impactful service to Central Texas. His leadership resume spans five terms as Bell County Judge, a 27-year military career culminating in retirement as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve, and decades of civic involvement across education, workforce, infrastructure, and economic development.  From his instrumental work on the Bell County Justice Center to his influence on countless community initiatives, Jon Burrows exemplifies the values of Leadership Temple—dedication, humility, and vision. “Jon represents everything Leadership Temple aspires to cultivate in our community,” said Ponce. “A man whose impact spans from courtrooms to county offices, from military service to civic leadership. This is someone who went from a small town in Oklahoma to becoming one of the most influential leaders in Central Texas history.” She added, “His talent for bringing people together—whether for ambitious infrastructure projects, to support the community, civic organizations, the college, or community celebrations—is truly legendary.” In recognition of his legacy, the Temple Chamber of Commerce presented an honorarium to the Jon & Katie Burrows Scholarship Endowment through the Temple College Foundation. This gift ensures his contributions to education and public service will impact future generations for years to come. Celebrating the Class of 2025
The 2025 graduates are:
Action Team Project: The Homeward Project The Class of 2025 presented The Homeward Project, a community initiative designed to combat housing insecurity by leveraging underutilized housing assets and cross-sector collaboration. Driven by local data showing more than 670 unhoused students in BISD and TISD, the class partnered with Grace Temple Ministries, Family Promise of Bell County, Temple ISD’s CTE Department, and the City of Temple to rehabilitate a vacant single-family home. The project includes a unique rental assistance and “nest egg” savings program to help families transition into long-term housing independence. With wraparound services, a five-year cycle of tenant transition, and plans to replicate the model, The Homeward Project sets a new standard for scalable, compassionate, and sustainable solutions to family homelessness. Looking Forward Leadership Temple continues to shape the next generation of community leaders who are committed to driving positive change. The 2025 banquet was made possible through the generous support of sponsors including the City of Temple, McLane Group, Extraco Banks, Johnson Brothers Ford Lincoln, Garcia Architects, Materials Transportation Company (MTC), Clark Associates, KPA Engineers, and Andrew Lambert. “The Class of 2025 and this year’s honoree, Jon Burrows, represent what makes this program so special,” said Whitney Theriot, President & CEO of the Temple Chamber of Commerce. “Their commitment to service, their compassion, and their willingness to lead with purpose make Temple stronger for everyone.” The 2025 banquet was a powerful reminder that the spirit of leadership is alive and thriving in Temple carried forward by alumni like Jon Burrows and reignited with every new graduating class. As the program evolves, its legacy grows. Rooted in relationships, fueled by purpose, and sustained by those who believe that leadership is not just a title, but a responsibility to leave things better than we found them. Check out the event photos, and join us in congratulating the 2025 Leadership Temple class! |
