Each year in October, we celebrate Texas Chamber of Commerce Week. This is an opportunity to recognize the people who make our Chamber’s work possible. When you attend a luncheon, celebrate a business opening, or participate in a leadership program, you see the finished product. Behind those experiences is a talented team whose preparation, dedication, and commitment to excellence help strengthen our community.
When you attend a Chamber luncheon, celebrate a business opening, or participate in a leadership program, you see the finished product. What you may not see are the people, preparation, and professional development that make those experiences possible for our community.
As President & CEO of the Rockwall Area Chamber of Commerce, I have the privilege of working alongside a talented team whose contributions often happen behind the scenes. Our team’s talent, dedication, and commitment to professional growth strengthen the service we provide to our businesses and community every day.
Chamber work requires a remarkable range of skills. On any given day, our team may be helping a new business build connections, coordinating an educational program, supporting a volunteer committee, communicating an advocacy priority, or answering a question from someone visiting our community. Each interaction requires knowledge, good judgment, and a willingness to listen.
Our team brings different strengths and perspectives to that work. Some excel at building relationships. Others have a gift for organizing details, communicating ideas, or turning a complicated undertaking into a clear plan. Those talents are valuable individually, but their greatest impact comes when we work together.
That is why professional development is a priority for us.
We ask businesses and community leaders to invest in their people, and we believe we have a responsibility to do the same. Training gives us opportunities to sharpen our skills, understand one another’s working styles, improve communication, and consider better ways to serve. It also creates space to step back from daily responsibilities and ask meaningful questions: What is working? Where can we improve? What does our business community need next?
Our designation as a 5-Star Accredited Chamber through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reflects that commitment to excellence. We take pride in this recognition and in the responsibility that comes with it. For our team, it reinforces the importance of strong leadership, thoughtful planning, and continually improving how we support local businesses and serve our community.
As we prepare for 2027, our team is making time for those conversations. We are reviewing our calendar, examining current programs, and bringing forward new ideas. We want each opportunity we offer to have a clear purpose and provide value to the people who participate.
For our partners and the broader community, that preparation has practical benefits. It means a business owner receives a thoughtful response and a useful connection. It means volunteers have the information they need to contribute effectively. It means programs are organized with care and feedback helps shape what comes next.
Our emphasis on excellence lives in those everyday details. It is the follow-through after a conversation, the accuracy of the information we share, and the attention we give to someone who needs assistance. It also means being willing to recognize when something could work better—and taking responsibility for improving it.
I am proud of our team’s commitment to learning and of the care they bring to their work. Their efforts support the entrepreneurs, employers, volunteers, and community leaders who count on the Chamber to help them move forward.
The next time you connect with our Chamber, I hope you will get to know the people behind the programs. Ask questions and tell us where we can be helpful. Those conversations guide our work and give our preparation purpose.
Investing in our team is one of the ways we invest in Rockwall’s future. As our community grows and its needs evolve, we intend to keep learning, improving, and showing up ready to serve.
I encourage you to get to know the people behind our programs and learn more about how the Chamber supports local businesses, creates opportunities to get involved, and helps strengthen the community we all call home.
I am proud to serve alongside these dedicated professionals:
- Monique Gauwain- Director of Operations
- Miranda Martinez- Director of Events & Engagement
- Lonny Schonfeld- Partnership Development Manager
- Beverly Wilson – Partnership Development Manager
- Abby Urban-Bader- Partner Experience Manager
- Michelle Carrillo- Administrative Coordinator
- Anne Glasscock- Partner Services
- Keith Burns- Partner Services
- Vincent Vento- Special Projects
We look forward to connecting with you and supporting the success of our community.
By Darby Nielsen, President & CEO, Rockwall Area Chamber of Commerce
Rockwall Chamber Connector by Darby Nielsen: The People Behind the Progress added by Editor on
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