Good Neighbor Podcast: Auburn and Opelika

Ep.#60: Celebrating 75 Years: Anna Hovey on the Legacy of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce

• Susannah Hodges at Village Centre Press

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Ready to uncover the secrets behind 75 years of community success? Join us on this special episode as we celebrate the Auburn Chamber of Commerce’s landmark anniversary with our esteemed guest, Anna Hovey. Anna takes us on a journey from the Chamber's humble beginnings in 1949 to its current role as a powerhouse supporter of local businesses, including Auburn University. Hear about the myriad programs the Chamber offers to help businesses connect, grow, and succeed, and catch Anna’s reflections on the enduring charm of Auburn and her evolution from a dedicated volunteer to a key figure in the Chamber.


Speaker 1:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Susanna Hodges.

Speaker 2:

Good morning and welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. My guest today is Anna Hovey with the Auburn Chamber of Commerce. Welcome, Anna.

Speaker 3:

Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 2:

Tell us a little bit about the Auburn Chamber of Commerce. Welcome, Anna. Thank you so much for having me Tell us a little bit about the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, and I know there's some exciting news that you want to share with us.

Speaker 3:

Yes, thank you. Well, the exciting part is that we are celebrating our 75th anniversary this year, and so to hear about what I'll describe about the Auburn Chamber is something that has been taking place for 75 years, and so that legacy of supporting businesses started back in 1949 and continues and certainly is in our plan for the future. And so, basically, the Auburn Chamber is a membership-based organization and we provide resources and support to businesses and organizations in our community. And if you think about what our community looked like 75 years ago, there's certainly been a great deal of growth and development that has taken place in our community, but certainly that is not unlike what has taken place with the Auburn Chamber. What we used to do back then in 1949 is still what we're doing. We're still supporting businesses and supporting our community.

Speaker 3:

Our programming maybe has changed, certainly as business has evolved, but we are basically here to help our members thrive and our membership is made up of everything from small business to the largest employer like Auburn University, and certainly was back in 1949. But then it also is made up of a mix of in between those ranges and certainly nonprofits and a lot of other organizations and community members and all points in between, and so our programming is designed to try to help all of those people thrive. We want to connect those people to each other and to the community and to people who need their resources, and certainly we want them to grow, we want them to succeed, and so that our programming, that we're planning and the many things that we do all revolve around sustaining and supporting the community that we live in.

Speaker 2:

And I have to agree. I think the Auburn Chamber of Commerce is an excellent organization because I have personally benefited from it. I'm a member of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce.

Speaker 2:

Thank you for saying that and just you know, we love our area here with Auburn and Opelika and I have really enjoyed looking at the historical photographs that you guys have been putting out about the chamber and seeing some of those familiar faces, and that's what I love about our area, anna is, even though we're, you know, a pretty good size area here, right, but the people are people you know and love and grew up with and I've seen all those historical pictures from like the 80s and 90s and I still see those people around today and I just love that.

Speaker 3:

Well, and I appreciate you saying that because I think that that is our legacy in our organization certainly, but that's our community's legacy that we do experience growth and new people come here, but it still feels like we are that connection, we still have the spirit of connection, and I think that that is what draws people here. And I'm one of those people that grew up here. My elementary school is still there. I only had three then. Having the opportunity to live in a place that I grew up in is important for me because I can sort of give back, you know, to that same community. But it's also exciting to see the growth that has come, because it's enticing people to experience what I experienced, you know, back then and certainly what I am now.

Speaker 3:

And I'm glad that the secret is out. I mean, sometimes you know it is not really a secret to us that live here, but when people come here, I think they are overwhelmed by the kindness of, and just the community spirit and I'm thankful for that. I think that speaks volumes to who we are and the comfort level that people really, truly want to make this a welcoming environment, and we strive, certainly at the chamber. We want people to feel welcome here, and there are people coming here for so many different reasons. They're not all business related, and so that's one of our challenges is to find ways to engage with all different people that are coming here, because it's not the same reason that it was, you know, all those years together Certainly so many people that find this a wonderful place to live, and certainly there are a lot of elements that contribute to that.

Speaker 2:

Let's talk about you for a few minutes. Anna, Tell me a little bit about your background. How did you get to the Auburn Chamber of Commerce? What led you in this direction?

Speaker 3:

Well, specifically, I was a volunteer, so I started my time with the Auburn Chamber as a diplomat, which is they are the arm of volunteers that help our team do everything that we do.

Speaker 3:

And so I wanted to grow professionally and I was working at Auburn University and what was then called the Office of Development Now it's the Office of Advancement and I asked my boss if I could use the Diplomat program as a way to develop professionally, and so he was kind to let me do that, and so that allowed me to go and meet several people in the community, maybe some of the new businesses that I didn't know from my time growing up here, but also it really made me see the impact that the chamber made in our community.

Speaker 3:

I was already familiar with the work of the chamber, but seeing it firsthand through the volunteer opportunities really made me love it even more, and the more I was there, the more I wanted to serve this organization.

Speaker 3:

And then I became a board member and about that time the team at the chamber had only four people working here and they were doing the work that now we have seven people doing, and a position was created and I applied for it and it was business development and events and I had had a background about 20 years worth of special event planning and that sort of thing.

Speaker 3:

I also had a background of retail and customer service kind of experience and so the chamber world is definitely a mix of all of the worlds of my previous jobs and it's the best versions of those jobs and so capitalizing sort of on my relationships I made in that retail environment and certainly the experiences that I learned through the development part of Auburn, my job there and special events kind of helped prepare me for this role or that first role. And then I just kind of grew up, grew in the in the organization organization. I was vice president for business development before applying for the president role and certainly feel like it's a privilege to serve in this capacity. And it is not only me that does the work, it's certainly our team and I'm thankful to get to go to work every day.

Speaker 2:

So you've been with the Auburn Chamber for a while now. I'm sure you've come across some misconceptions that people have about the Auburn Chamber, maybe specifically but really generally about chambers and what you guys do. Tell us a little bit about some of those misconceptions you've run across.

Speaker 3:

I appreciate this question because anytime that we can change the narrative of those misconceptions are important. You know, chambers across the country do a lot of similar work. We all support our members because we are membership-based and so that is true to everyone. But after that it's about. That's the only commonality. We are not, in our case, in Auburn. We are not an entity affiliated with the city of Auburn, so we're not part of the city's municipality per se. We certainly partner with them and we feel very thankful to have good relationships with different entities at the city, but we are not one of those entities. And also a misconception, honestly and this is something that we try really hard to get the word out whenever we're meeting with people we want to serve anyone who has an interest in connecting with the business community in Auburn. If you want to, so it, and it doesn't matter if your zip code is 36830 or 36832.

Speaker 3:

We have lots of people that are trying to connect with different businesses in town, different members of the community in Auburn, and so we feel like we're that connection where we provide the platforms for those connections, and so a lot of times people say, oh, my business isn't in Auburn, I didn't think I could join the Auburn Chamber, and our response is if you want to do business here, we want you to be a part of the Auburn Chamber, and we really feel like we are fortunate to have so many people that do value chamber membership.

Speaker 3:

Certainly, it has evolved over the years, like we said earlier, but there are so many needs that all the different businesses have, and so we are working every day to try to support all the different types of businesses.

Speaker 3:

Certainly, there are more now than what we're traditionally here you know all these decades that we've been in existence and so it challenges us to to work hard to try to provide something that's of value to all the different types of businesses.

Speaker 3:

But thankfully, there are a lot of people that want to do business here and there are a lot of great people that are investing their money and their brain power and their time, and so we want to come alongside those people and really provide any type of support that we can. And even some misconceptions that we've met kind of recently but we've been, you know, kind of having these types of conversations my how to navigate, you know where they need to, what kind of nonprofits they should support or where they can connect to get their teams to serve a community organization, and so we do spend a lot of time with people who haven't joined yet and it's our pleasure to do that because we want to show that we actually want to engage with everyone and hope for that relationship to build so that we can just build our network and build the network of the people around us.

Speaker 2:

Well, it's interesting. You talked about the different types of business, and part of the reason I do this podcast is to encourage others who are thinking about going into business for themselves, maybe to be an entrepreneur, and a lot that goes along with those types of decisions is preparing for, you know, it's a bumpy road, it's not going to be easy, and so do you have any kind of challenges that you've experienced, you know, throughout your career, that might encourage others that are thinking about going into business, things that you've overcome and made you you know a better professional and made the Auburn chamber a better chamber.

Speaker 3:

Well, I feel like they happen hourly for me, so, yes, I have plenty I could share. We were just talking this morning as a team about how sometimes we we find ourselves challenged and then we we forget to say God put us here for a reason and we can get through this with his help. And so, um, I would say one major thing that just sticks out. It's not life shattering or anything, or you know, I'm not the only person that would say this, but embracing change is something that is a constant challenge changed our database, so all of our membership information for the last probably 30 something years had to be transported into this new database. That's much more user friendly and it's going to take us into the future. But the challenge of that transition it was several months of learning new processes and learning how to do things, and we're still, a year later, still tweaking and fine tuning. We also are implementing a new operating system called the EOS operating system as the Entrepreneurs Operating System, and I would definitely share that as a key foundational change for us.

Speaker 3:

And both of those are not outward facing, and so sometimes I would say that the challenge comes inward, or maybe inside the doors of our organizations and people don't necessarily know that those changes are being made. But my reason for those changes was really to get us a better foundation for our future, and if anything I can do as a leader is to provide for our, our future. And, you know, find us ways that are sustainable long after I'm gone. And so both of those, while not glamorous, were very necessary and so change. While that was uncomfortable and it's still sometimes uncomfortable to get those new ways of doing things or maybe even a new way of thinking, it's important to be open to the change, and certainly I also have to say, because I'm a pretty traditional person, I don't think there's any reason to forget what is in the past or forget the traditions, or to leave those behind. I think it's important to grow and to make those changes that are necessary to sustain us into the future, but really appreciate and I certainly appreciate the legacy of 75 years of this organization. I take zero credit for that, you know, but I'm getting to sit under the shade tree that the leaders before me planted, and so I want to do the same, moving forward. And so what I would say to anybody thinking about starting a business is go for it, and let me encourage you and let come to the chamber and let us all encourage you.

Speaker 3:

I work with a team of some of the most encouraging people, and while that focus has to be refocused sometimes for me, every hour of the day, just to say I can get through this and we can do hard things, I do think challenge also brings a great deal of an outcome.

Speaker 3:

That is even better than we could sort, you know, sort of anticipate while we're in it, and so I encourage people to find their passion like know what you do that makes you thrive and makes you feel the most alive, and try to find a way to live in that you know version of yourself.

Speaker 3:

We did a great training it's a Patrick Lencioni training about the different. You know whether you're working in something that drains you or just that makes you sort of you can do it and it's you're complacent and it's you're competent in it, but what is it that makes you really thrive? And so finding out who you are as a person, you are as an organization, and living in that area is what is the most optimal and what I encourage people. I want us all to live that way, because I want us all to make a better impact being who we truly are made to be, and it's all not rainbows and unicorns all the time. I'm not delusional, but I feel like we can do our best to work in our wheelhouse and try to get a team assembled of people that serve people in different ways, and that is really ultimately going to lift the organization that you serve for sure.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. I think, definitely as a you know a business owner myself you really do, throughout the process, learn more about yourself and what you can achieve, and so you're absolutely right, it is definitely a growth thing to do. Also, when you're talking about new technology and new systems, I did the same thing about a little over a year ago and yes, it is really. It takes taken almost a year to really get my mind around what all it can do, and our technology changes so fast. It's so important to keep up with it and not, you know, just do the same thing you've always done and not grow tech. You know, with how the technology is growing, so those things can be stressful, but they they really stretch you into being a better person, don't they? They?

Speaker 3:

do You're so right, and I think we have to give ourselves grace to, to to realize that it does take time. It's not a flip of a switch and we live in such a culture that I think instant gratification is too much what drives people and that's just not real life. And certainly a transition is important, but it does take time.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely it does. Well, let's go back to the Chamber of Commerce here. What is one thing you wish people knew about the Auburn Chamber that they may not realize?

Speaker 3:

Well, there's so many things, but if I were to say one, it's certainly that we want to be a welcoming organization to everyone, and I know that we started by saying we're a membership based organization, but we welcome everyone to find their place in our organization. We have businesses. Like I said, auburn University is the largest employer in Auburn and really in Lee County employer in Auburn and really in Lee County, and so we have that member and then we have, you know, the newest member of the chamber that joined. That's a one person business, you know. So we have all points in between.

Speaker 3:

But then, on top of that, we have community members, who are people that maybe are not affiliated with a business, and so we want people to know that there is a spot for them here, and so if I could tell anyone anything is that there is a place for you in the Auburn Chamber, and we also, you know, we do provide different programming for all those different types of people, but really it's about feeling a sense of community and, like we mentioned earlier, auburn is such a wonderful place that Lee County in general has so many wonderful attributes that make people want to be here, and we want to engage with all of those people, and so we produce a welcome publication every year that's like a newcomer's guide, and it is really a partnership with the city of Auburn and Auburn University and intended to really welcome people here and intended to really welcome people here.

Speaker 3:

But we host a social every year that invites people who are new to town to come and let us share about what our members are doing with them and connect them to the vendors that they might need to get acclimated to life in a new town. We also have a chamber travel program that we're launching with the intention of just engaging with community members that maybe we haven't before, and so if you want to go to Italy with a group of people from Auburn, alabama, the chamber travel program is for you, and so we want people to know that we are here as a resource on all different levels and it looks different for everybody, but we want to welcome everybody. So that's my main item. I guess that I would say.

Speaker 2:

Well, what is a good way for people to get in touch with the Auburn Chamber?

Speaker 3:

Oh yeah, so we do have a website, auburnchambercom, that shares lots of information. It does also have what our calendar of events are. It also shares community events and things that are happening. That welcome publication is on our website, so certainly finding us there. We're on LinkedIn for the business community. They're more focused towards business, but certainly we reach out to people through Instagram and Facebook as well, and really our office on Glen Avenue I mean, we're 714 East Glen and we want people to feel comfortable coming in. We want them to call us and let us take time to meet them and have an opportunity to share more about what we think is why Auburn is such a wonderful place.

Speaker 2:

Well, thank you so much, Anna, for being my guest today. I've really enjoyed talking with you and learning more about the Auburn Chamber of Commerce.

Speaker 3:

Thank you for the opportunity.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the good neighbor podcast auburn. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnp auburncom. That's gnp auburncom, or call 334-429-7404.