Q&A WITH HARDY WATKINS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIP AND INVESTOR RELATIONS
Q: How has your experience—first as a chamber member, then leading another chamber, and now as senior vice president of membership and investor relations at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber—shaped your approach to this role?
Q: From your perspective, what makes chambers of commerce valuable to businesses and communities? A: Chambers convene business and community leaders, making them the place where shared goals and ideas can help drive significant change and positive momentum. The Greater OKC Chamber has played a role in every good initiative and effort to propel our region forward, even from our earliest days. Without the Chamber’s involvement, there would be nothing like Tinker Air Force Base, long-term water supply for residents, passage of MAPS, United Way, Allied Arts, Innovation District or a growing visitor economy— the list goes on. Chambers bring businesses and the community together to help solve challenges, improve life and dream big. Q: Having been both a member and a leader, what insights have you gained about what businesses truly need from a chamber? A: Businesses need chambers to listen, lead initiatives that drive success and advocate for policies that support economic growth and quality of life. Our work to grow the economy by attracting business and investment is vital to creating a bigger customer base and bringing talent to the region. Q: How do you see the Greater OKC Chamber supporting both startups and established corporations in meaningful ways? A: I am a strong believer in the member networking opportunities our chamber offers, which benefit both startups and corporations. I see great value for our member and investor businesses in our government relations initiatives and the Chamber’s ability to connect them to policy decision-makers. There is value in the programming of our events, both large and small, which share important information about the issues and opportunities our community faces.
HARDY WATKINS SVP of Membership and Investor Relations
A: My career has presented several fulfilling opportunities, including perspectives from every angle of the chamber world. As senior vice president of membership and investor relations, I try to never lose sight of a member’s perspective. Members invest hard-earned dollars, have demanding schedules and want value at every event. They want networking opportunities to grow their businesses, connect with their professional peers and feel a sense of shared ownership as we work together to advance our region. I feel a sense of responsibility to every member to evaluate and reconsider everything we do through their perspective.
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