Beavercreek chamber president speaks about a post pandemic age for small business owners

Rogers said she has led multiple projects to better the relationship between the chamber and the Beavercreek business community. After the pandemic, Rogers said the chamber had to adjust its focus to help small businesses move in a new direction.

She said the chamber provides initiatives that advocate for businesses. Partnerships between a chamber and an organization can provide tools and benefits for a business that the chamber can’t provide on its own, she said.

Offering access to health insurance has helped some Beavercreek small businesses.

“To get health insurance you only need two people, and we can get you a group plan. That’s pretty incredible and that was something that wasn’t normally there or offered to small businesses,” Rogers said.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which is Ohio’s largest single site employer with more 35,000 employees, is in Beavercreek’s backyard and the chamber works with a lot of businesses that supply workforce for the military installation.

“The base is active in our community and we do have resources and ways to interact with them. We have to. I mean, they’re here in our community,” Rogers said.

Chris McClure, vice president of the Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce, said Rogers has done a good job of building relationships in the community.

“It’s a lot of brainstorming together. She’s good with being the face for the organization and being the cheerleader for events and things,” McClure said.

Rogers said the Beavercreek chambers collaborates with other chambers in Greene and Montgomery counties.

With her experience as a certified paralegal, Rogers has adapted her skills in connecting with people, ensuring she provides results.

“It was talking and really listening, because people were going through some pretty difficult times and there were some pretty ugly things that you see and you have to get people through,” Rogers said.

One of Rogers’ first plans when she came into the role of president was to create a Business Career Center at the chamber office, an event space for business owners and chamber members. She said that idea is expected to come to fruition in nine to 12 months.