Pammie Jimmar, president of the Athens-Limestone County Chamber of Commerce, recently traveled to Montgomery on Wednesday, March 5, for the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama’s inaugural Chamber Day at the Capitol. 

“Chamber Day at the Capitol was important for not just our chamber, but for all of our local chambers across the state of Alabama,” Jimmar told The News Courier. “The event not only afforded us the opportunity to celebrate the impactful work we’ve done with our state legislators, but it also allowed for us to hear an update on different bills that could impact our work in the near future. The beautiful part about the event was seeing the genuine collaboration between our two legislative bodies in the State House and Senate.”

Jimmar, an active board member of the Alabama Chambers, met with more than 125 chamber professionals, volunteers and community leaders during the inaugural event that brought together several key local stakeholders to discuss the important issues that will shape the future of the state.

Following presentations from Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth, Senate Pro Tem Garlan Gudger and Speaker of the House Nathanial Ledbetter, Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama President Kyle South, a former state representative, led an enlightening discussion with House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels and Senator Josh Carnley. 

“All of our chambers have the same mission, but we all do it in different ways,” Jimmar said. “Each one of us wants to make sure the cities and counties we represent are the best in the state. The event was a good way to network with them and develop relationships with them, because they all try to accomplish that goal in different ways, so you are constantly learning new ways to make your community better.”

After the presentations concluded, attendees adjourned to visit delegates at the Alabama State House for an opportunity to interact directly with lawmakers — gaining a better understanding of the policy decisions that impact local businesses and communities across Alabama. The day ended with an opportunity to hear from Governor Kay Ivey at the Alabama State Capitol.

“We were excited to launch the first-ever Chamber Day at the Capitol and bring our state’s chambers of commerce together in one place,” Anna Hovey, Alabama Chambers Chairwoman of the Board and president of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, stated in a release. “This event provided an invaluable opportunity for collaboration between chamber leaders and our legislative body to advocate for policies that support economic growth, job creation and the overall prosperity of Alabama. Our chambers of commerce across Alabama tirelessly work for the betterment of the communities they serve and for our state as a whole. It was an honor to bring that message and reminder to Montgomery.”

According to the organization, since its beginning in 1937 as the Alabama Association of Commercial Organizations, the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama has remained dedicated to its mission of building stronger chambers across our state while advocating that chambers of commerce are the premier local business advocates in the State of Alabama. Through The Partnership with the Business Council of Alabama, a non-partisan organization, the two organizations represent the interests and concerns of over 1 million working Alabamians every day.

 “Our association represents the 100 chambers of commerce across Alabama covering almost every part of the state which are led by over 1,600 staff and volunteer leaders representing over 40,000 businesses and organizations,” said Paige Hutto, president of Alabama Chambers. “We were proud to bring some of them together for this exciting day. This was a chance for us to ensure our collective voices are heard in Montgomery, and our elected officials continue to hear from their local chambers of commerce on the important issues facing our communities and the state.”