Last month the Greater Phoenix Chamber (GPC) celebrated its 130th anniversary. Over the past century it has gone by several names, but has continuously served as the voice of business in the Greater Phoenix region, said Todd Sanders, president and CEO.

“From the very beginning, the chamber served the region’s innovators, employers, builders, and entrepreneurs by supporting efforts and policies to make Phoenix an economically prosperous region where businesses and people thrive,” Sanders said.

With a long history of advocating for strong public policy, the chamber spearheaded efforts to build a railroad north, develop better infrastructure such as roads and highways, and attract people and talent to the Valley. It also was instrumental in the development and growth of the region’s agriculture industry. A key component of this success was the chamber’s role in the region’s water planning efforts, including the creation of the Roosevelt Dam. In addition, chamber leaders were instrumental in efforts to establish Arizona State University as a university to support the region’s growing population.

“Thirteen decades later, we still advocate for business every day and are proud to be the chamber of the future,” Sanders said. “In the past five years, the chamber created an economic development program to assist existing businesses grow, launched a Foundation to foster strong talent pipelines across key industries and a healthy workforce, and continued to provide a robust public affairs program for chamber members.”

For more information, visit www.phoenixchamber.com.