Emerging Leaders:

Not Your Average Professional Networking Group

“To empower emerging leaders through dynamic and influential training programs and experiences, fostering their growth as future community leaders and enriching the Chamber's relationships with community partners.”

Yes, instead of crafting three sentences of reasonable length, we opted for the all-too-common business-world mega-sentence. But that shouldn’t cause you to dismiss it. This mission statement for the Tucson Metro Chamber’s Emerging Leaders is as comprehensive as the program is deep. And the need for a program of this caliber and focus is more evident with every election cycle, both local and national. In our politically unpredictable environment, having informed and engaged leaders is essential.

I first learned of Emerging Leaders in 2019 through a mass email I received from the Chamber inviting “young, dynamic, engaged, driven, upwardly mobile, top performers“ to apply. At that time, I would not have described myself in those terms (nor would I today). But the tenets of the program really resonated with me: robust discussions about political, economic, and social challenges we face, and guest speakers sharing valuable insights about our community. Finally, the program’s aim to “promote a culture of civic activism and awareness relative to our local political and business landscape.”

I cared deeply about my community. I cared deeply about Tucson as a whole and about the future of my fellow Tucsonans. Still, zeal isn’t enough to navigate complicated civic and business landscapes, and that’s what made this program so compelling. Then there was the promise of being paired with a seasoned executive in a formal mentorship. Sold! Where’s the apply button?!

So, I applied. And after a multi-phased blind application process, and to my bewilderment, I actually got in. Full disclosure, despite my excitement, there were some misconceptions I had about the group going into it. Having no college education, I expected to be wildly outnumbered by highly credentialed professionals (which I was) and presumed I may be dismissed for offering only the perspective of an untrained mind. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. This was a cohort of young professionals who knew enough to have thoughts and opinions but also recognized how much they didn’t know. Like me, everyone was eager to learn from Tucson’s seasoned leaders and fellow emergers.

And learn we have! In a given year, we hear from nearly a dozen guest speakers. Accomplished executives, veteran community leaders, respected philanthropists, expert coaches, local, state, and national elected officials; we get a mix of all of them. We discuss business trends, problem-solve common challenges we all face in our respective industries and sharpen our awareness of the political impacts we observe in our personal and professional lives. And all that in addition to having a respected professional mentoring you throughout the year. Emerging Leaders is truly a unique and top-tier program designed for those seeking to grow professionally and personally, ultimately benefiting our Tucson region and preparing us for future service to this great community.

Blog Contributor: 

Eli Peart
Chief Operating Officer | Port of Tucson LLC

Chair | Emerging Leaders & Public Policy Council, Tucson Metro Chamber

Member | Board of Directors, Tucson Metro Chamber