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The Raleigh Chamber is proud to serve as a connector for our business community. We sit at the crossroads of several critical initiatives — economic development; public policy; transportation; talent; diversity, equity, and inclusivity; support of member businesses and industries, and more.
We owe a great deal of our success to the support and leadership of our Executive Committee and Board of Directors. These volunteer business leaders are tirelessly committed to the success of our business community, and give their time and expertise to ensure our region remains one of the best places to live and work in the nation.
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Over the last year, our teams worked together to generate and maintain incredible momentum. That work resulted in remarkable and sustainable accomplishments.
 
“Collaboration is that thing that makes greater Raleigh so special, and it’s the key to our success. Working closely together with leaders from the business community is what enables us to stay ahead of the needs of our region, and we are grateful for their commitment and support.”
 – Adrienne Cole, President & CEO, Raleigh Chamber 
 
The Chamber and its staff are grateful for the dedication and commitment of its 2020/21 Executive Committee and Board of Directors, especially for its leadership through a particularly trying year. As we begin a new fiscal year on Oct. 1, we are excited to continue to lead with purpose and collaborate with successful business leaders in our region.
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The Executive Committee and Board of Directors represent a variety of industries across our membership and will work closely with the Chamber over the next year on initiatives to further our mission of building a thriving regional economy, enhancing the community’s quality of life, and strengthening member businesses.

​“I’m honored and humbled by the faith our business community has placed in me to lead our Chamber as Chair. The Chamber is a trusted pillar in our community, and this committee and board will remain laser-focused on the progress of our region.”
– Kevin Howell, Vice Chancellor for External Affairs, Partnerships and Economic Development, NC State University
 
Your Chamber depends on you! Get involved. Spread the word. Lead with purpose.

There are opportunities for organizations of every size. From development for young professionals to networking opportunities and resources for business leaders — there is always a chance to grow and connect.
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It is working together that we will keep the Greater Raleigh region great, and help us continue to lead with purpose into the year ahead.

 Join Us
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What’s happening in the North Carolina General Assembly and around state government? Here’s an update on bill activity and how your business will be impacted.
 
As discussed in previous blogs, House Bill 320: Modernize Remote Business Access is an important piece of legislation that allows for the continuance of certain business transactions to be conducted electronically, beyond the COVID-19 emergency setting.

​Specifically, the bill would:

• Authorize remote meetings of corporation shareholders, nonprofit corporation members, and mutual insurance company policy holders.
• Authorize nonprofit corporations to conduct all business electronically.

 
Since our previous update, House Bill 320 has passed the Senate and is currently waiting for House concurrence with the Senate proposed changes. The ability to conduct business in a virtual setting remains important as employers adjust to operational changes brought about by COVID-19. We will continue to update you as the bill moves forward.
 
Additionally, a PCS for House Bill 776: Remote Online Notarization saw movement in the Senate last week. The Proposed Committee Substitute would allow authorized North Carolina notaries to remotely perform notarial acts using real time online communication technology. The notary and the principal to the transaction would be required to be physically located in North Carolina at the time of the notarial act. Unfortunately, the current Senate proposal limits the scope of documents that are eligible for remote notarization and therefore we are hopeful that the final bill reflects the original proposal that passed the House in May.

Like the remote business access issue, the remote notarization process was also part of COVID-19 emergency procedures granted to employers during the pandemic. The flexibility that is offered in the House version of HB 776 has been helpful to businesses that remain under some level of internal COVID-19 restrictions. We will continue to encourage the General Assembly to provide as much flexibility as possible for employers by allowing for more remote options. HB 776 is currently awaiting a hearing in the Senate Commerce and Insurance Committee, and we will keep you updated on further action.
 
Finally, The Raleigh City Council released its study group final report. The report focuses on Raleigh City Council election terms, compensation, and voter participation. Currently, Raleigh City Council has five district members, two at-large members and the mayor. Each member serves two- year terms instead of four- year terms. The study committee recommended a four-year term instead of a two-year term and adding one additional district member, increasing the Raleigh Council to nine members. This will avoid deadlocks, improve the decision-making process, and facilitate efficient policy development. The study committee also recommended council members receive a pay raise. Currently, Raleigh city Council members makes far less than their counterparts in Durham, Fayetteville, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem. The mayor currently makes $27,550 while council members make $19,725. If the study committee’s recommendation is approved, the mayor could make $45,911 and council members would make $37,248. Finally, the study committee recommended a voter engagement program to help voters feel more included in the election process. A few recommendations to increase voter engagement includes reallocating savings from shifting elections to even years to fund voter engagement, including voter engagement within City’s DEI and community engagement strategy and adding voter engagement to the City’s social media platforms. The study committee’s final recommendations are listed below.
 
The study group proposed six recommendations:
1. 4 -year terms
2. Staggered terms
3. Even year elections
4. Increase total compensation
5. Develop and implement voter engagement program
6.  Add 1 new district council position
 
We will keep you updated on further action as the Raleigh City Council moves forward with the recommendations of the study committee.
 
To learn more about our GA priorities, track legislative bills, or to read our blog posts, you can visit our webpage or follow us on Twitter @RcgaJ, @tierra_rcga, or @raleighchamber.  
 
 

This year’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity Conference, in partnership with Bank of America, took place virtually over a two-day period.

The conference theme for this year was ‘Speak Up, Take Action’ and our speakers took this to heart in their sessions by delivering powerful strategies and insights that we can bring to our personal lives and to our organizations.
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We kicked off day one with a privilege walk led by Jackie Ferguson, co-founder of The Diversity Movement. Attendees shared their varying levels of privilege at the end of the interactive exercise, as shown in the graph below. Afterward, attendees shared how they were feeling in the chat box. Words such as “reflective”, “surprised yet grateful”, and “guilty” were common. See the word cloud below.

However, Jackie made sure to mention that no one should be feeling guilty from their privilege score, but rather understanding that privilege is a step toward empathy and helps to build a more inclusive culture. It helps us realize that there is so much more to people than the few personas they introduce to you. She summarized, “privilege is a responsibility, not something to feel guilty about.”

The next part of day one featured DEI Talks for participants to choose one of the below topics:

• Blindsided: Uncovering Bias
• Facilitating Courageous Conversations
• Understanding and Disrupting Micro-Aggressions
• Understanding the Depth of Identity

We ended the day with a powerful keynote speech from Stedman Graham, chairman & CEO of S. Graham and Associates. He shared an important lesson on Identity Leadership and figuring out who you are. “It’s not about how the world defines you, it’s about how you define yourself,” he said. The lesson we took away was it’s important to know how to define yourself, your identity, and go on a quest for self-improvement and self-actualization. This way, you will be able to create your own system for success and lead others the right way.

Day two kicked off with the session “Measuring DEI Impact: Quality vs. Quantity”. Attendees heard tips and tools for aligning qualitative and quantitative diversity, equity, and inclusivity, and enterprise goals. It’s important to create strategies and understand both sides to create an inclusive and equitable work culture.

Qualitative Tip: When hiring new talent, let’s transition the language from ‘culture fit’ to ‘culture add’. Rather than asking people to fit into an existing company culture, ask what an employee can add to our culture to help expand our viewpoints.

Quantitative Tip: If we’re not measuring our work, we don’t know how we are doing, and we can’t prioritize and adapt. This goes beyond just measuring representation, you can also measure other factors such as how many employees are going through training, and how engaged employees are.
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Next, we moved into breakout sessions which attendees had the opportunity to choose one of the below:

• The Undeniable Benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility
• How to Navigate Your DEI Journey
• Becoming an Ally and Accomplice in the Workplace
• Disability & Neurodiversity Inclusion in the Workplace
• Racial Equity for Black Employees in the Workplace

Lastly, before our closing activity, we heard from our keynote speaker Bo Young Lee, the chief diversity and inclusion officer at Uber Technologies. Her keynote can be summarized by a quote from Mike Tyson, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

The lesson to take away from her keynote is that it’s important to remember that you already have people of marginalized groups working at your organization. If you haven’t heard their story, it’s critical to ask them: Do they feel included and treated with equity?

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2021 Diversity, Equity & Inclusivity Conference. We hope you enjoyed this virtual experience and are leaving with insights and goals to act on. Together, we will Speak Up, Take Action.

Thank you to our sponsors.

In Partnership With
Bank of America

Presenting Sponsors
BASF
Credit Suisse
McGuireWoods LLP

Platinum Sponsors
ABB Inc.
District C
Enact
Greene Resources
RTP Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Collective

Gold Sponsors 
City of Raleigh
The Diversity Movement
Merz Aesthetics
Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors
RTI International
Spectrum Reach

Silver Sponsors 
Citrix
ElectriCities of NC, Inc.
Marsh & McLennan Agency
WakeMed Health & Hospitals

Bronze Sponsors
321 Coffee
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
Clark Nexsen
First Citizens Bank
GoTriangle
Grace Federal Solutions, LLC
Rodgers Builders, Inc.
Univision 40
Wake Technical Community College
Williams Mullen

Breakout Session Sponsors
AT&T North Carolina
Clancy & Theys Construction Company

Learn more about the Triangle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Alliance here.