States Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100. Widely considered to be composed of the top 100 chambers of commerce and chamber CEOs in the country, the Committee of 100 meets several times a year with U.S. Chamber leadership to ensure the national organization receives feedback from local and state chambers of commerce on behalf of their respective areas. In 2018, Hicks was elected Chair of the Board for the Western Association of Chamber Executives (WACE) becoming the first chamber CEO from the State of Oregon to serve this role in the organization’s history. Hicks led an effort to grow the association’s membership and reached an all- time high for WACE and capped his term by bringing the association’s annual conference to Oregon, also a first in the association’s history. In announcing Hicks’ retirement, Chamber Board Chair Jessica Gomez of Rogue Valley Microdevices noted, “the Board of Directors and I appreciate the almost 30 years of service that Brad has contributed to the growth and success of The Chamber and our region. At the time of Brad’s hiring, the board hoped to grow the size, budget, and influence of The Chamber, but no one could have imagined the heights to which Brad would take us. To have a chamber of our caliber in a community of our size is really unparalleled in the country.” Chamber Chairman-Elect, Travis Snyder of Precision Electric stated, “at every meeting, my appreciation of Brad’s leadership and admiration for how much he loves our community grows. In sports they talk about players with a high motor and unmatched work ethic. Brad is one of those players who never takes a single play off.” Snyder continued, “we understand that finding Brad’s replacement would have been a difficult proposition which is why Brad has been working on this succession plan casually for seven years and aggressively for the last two years to prepare Eli Matthews, current Senior Vice President of Travel Medford, to succeed him.”
Hicks will maintain an advisory role with The Chamber for the next twelve months. Hicks stated, “it’s rare to have the opportunity to do something you love in the place you love. Equally, having grown up in southern Oregon, I was able to work alongside lifelong friends whom I also love. I’ve gotten to travel the country and the world, meet with heads of state, and shape, hopefully for the better, the place I’ve called home most of my life. To have served in this capacity has been the privilege of a lifetime.” When asked why now, Hicks replied, “while I could always find new reasons to continue on, I wanted to get The Chamber back on solid footing, help get our business community, and community at large, through the darkest days of the pandemic, as well as the catastrophic wildfires by helping to secure financial relief and advocacy direction. Now that it appears there is light at the end of the tunnel, I feel good about passing the torch.” The organization has been working on Hicks’ succession plan in a variety of stages over time, culminating in the Board’s recent unanimous decision to hire Eli Matthews to lead the organization as Hicks’ successor. Hicks added, “I have every confidence that we already have the experienced and capable individual, in Eli, necessary to lead The Chamber in its role as one of the leading business development organizations in the State of Oregon. I look forward to our chamber accomplishing even greater things in the days ahead.” In continuing his personal mission of advocacy and helping businesses succeed, Hicks has formed R.B.I., LLC (Representing Business Issues) a consultancy which will focus on organization management, strategic planning, facilitation, coaching and advocacy for clients at the local, regional, and national levels. On behalf of The Chamber Board of Directors, Chamber staff, and countless volunteers over the last 30 years, thank you Brad for your passion, courage, and leadership in moving our region and our community forward. n
Photos, from left to right: Addressing WACE Conference as Chairman of the Board. With Jim Belushi at Holly Theatre Wall Breaking. At Chamber Forum with Scott Morris, Brad’s first Board Chair. Throwing the First Pitch at Medford Rogues Game. Discussing Association Health Plans for chambers of commerce with Labor Secretary Acosta.
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May 2021 | The Business Review
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