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The Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce

Carol Beese

Carol Beese knows a thing or two about how to build a successful Chamber of Commerce. After all—she has been around since the beginning of it all.

Starting out as a part-time helper for a handful of Barrington area businesses, Beese was part of the group that evolved into the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce. At the time, she didn’t know she would serve as the president. “They asked me to do the job on April Fool’s Day,” she says with a laugh, adding, “You have to have a sense of humor in this business or you don’t survive.”

Beese really invested herself in the job of president, creating a vision for the Chamber as a proactive organization that goes out of the way to help their members, and is also very invested in the quality of life in the community. She emphasizes that building a successful Chamber isn’t just about the organization itself, saying, “You are promoting a total community that is great to live and work in.”

The Chamber has enjoyed a strong membership from the beginning, and Beese believes that this is in part because the area businesses value the proactive nature of the group. She also says, “We’ve been able to help give them a vehicle that they can do good things through.”

Over the years, Beese was proud to stand behind things such as the formation of a council of governments for the Barrington area and the comprehensive plan to preserve open space in the region. She knew that all of these initiatives would help make the area more attractive to businesses, and improve the quality of life there as well.

When the search began for someone to replace her more than 30 years later, it took a while to find the right person. The Chamber wanted someone who would continue to uphold the vision and maintain the momentum that the organization had built over the years with the dedication of Carol Beese and the volunteer Board. It had helped them become one of the most successful chambers in Illinois.

When they found Janet Meyer, Beese knew she was the one, and the test of time has shown that she was right. “She has done such a wonderful job as president,” says Beese.

Janet Meyer

Janet Meyer stepped into her role as president of the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce in December of 2000 and says that she feels truly lucky that there was already a great system in place when she signed on. “Having such a great foundation allowed us to take the beginning principles and roll out benefits that are applicable to meeting the needs of today’s business members,” she says.

Meyer believes that the Chamber’s proactive vision continues to be applicable today. As the various areas in the Barrington region have developed, the Chamber has continually reached out to make sure that they are serving all of the unique communities in the region. “We have had to consider how to partner with these areas to best support what each Village is doing and to help them meet any workforce development and economic development issues that they need to have addressed,” says Meyer. She points out that in order to enjoy continued success for the region everyone must work together. “We are all under one umbrella,” she says.

It has been exciting for the Chamber to see the growth in the region, and the dynamic nature of the organization has allowed them to continually adjust their approach as the business climate and structure changes. This ability to stay current and address the latest needs of their members is in large part what has helped them remain such a strong component of the economic vitality in the area.

Meyer points out that today’s businesses have a variety of new faces. “We have a new growing mix of businesses in the area that includes telecommuters and those who have home businesses,” she says. Part of the Chamber’s mission is to be inclusive of all facets of the business environment, and to help new arrivals establish themselves, as well as feel a part of the community.

Meyer is quick to point out that she is just a part of the reason that the Barrington Area Chamber is so successful. She notes that without the incredible amount of support from the volunteers and members, the Chamber would not be where it is today. She says, “The dedication of all of the volunteer Board members throughout the years has really allowed the Chamber to be an advocate for the business community. We have been able to serve as the regional voice.”

The Chamber enjoys strong support from within its 750-member organization. The volunteer-driven nature of the group is what truly allows them the ability to be proactive about creating opportunities for their members that cannot be found elsewhere. Meyer is thankful to have such support, and says, “Relationships take time and energy to build, and people in the Chamber are willing to give that time and energy for the common good.”

As the Chamber goes forth into a new era with its own set of challenges, they will be ready to meet them. The dynamic vision that began with Carol Beese lives on, and Janet Meyer has made sure that as the landscape of the region’s workforce changes, those principles will continue to remain applicable to today’s business environment.