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The Story of the Lake Champlain Chamber

Chamber representatives, 1920

A trip down memory lane

1910
A CHAMBER IS BORN

The Industrial Revolution helped transform our region: Burlington was home to 82 manufacturers, employing almost 2,400 workers. And with all the transformation occuring at home and throughout the country, the Burlington Merchants Protective Association was created.

1920
THE BURLINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Chamber secretary James Taylor, WWI pilot and future Mayor of Burlington, Johnny Burns, and Aviation Commissioner Mason Beebe raised funds to purchase BTV Airport  land and transform the field into a landing strip

1927
THE GREAT VERMONT FLOOD

Prolonged heavy rain combined with large-scale deforestation in northern Vermont resulted in catastrophic flooding of the Winooski River and its tributaries.

1929
THE GREAT DEPRESSION

The 1929 stock market crash and the Great Depression of the 1930s demonstrated the region’s economic ties to the nation, leaving many workers idle and stalling the region’s growth for a decade.

1942
A BIG CHANGE IN CHAMBER LEADERSHIP

Chamber of Commerce officers and executives resign in a harmonious move to reorganize into the development of a modern, aggressive chamber program

 A “Community Chest” fundraising program for social services is proposed

1952
BECOMING A CHAMBER

The Burlington Merchants Association is rebranded to the Burlington Chamber of Commerce

1954
A NEW EVENT

Waterama, an event featuring swim competitions, sailboat races and waterskiing is held on the waterfront

CHANGES TO THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY

By the mid-1950s the region again was experiencing major unemployment, due in large part to the continued shifting of textile jobs from New England to the South and the decline in defense production at the end of the Korean Conflict.

The textile industry’s employment alone dropped from about 2,000 in 1951 to less than 200 in 1958, with the mills closing completely in 1965.

1956
CELEBRITY GUESTS

Ronald Reagan speaks at a Burlington-LC Chamber membership meeting.  Reagan was the program supervisor for General Electric Theatre.

The Chamber assists in luring the New York Giants football team to train in Chittenden County

1959
A NEW HOME

The Chamber moves offices to 325 Main Street between Willard and Union Streets in a building now occupied by Champlain College.

A COMPLETED I-89

In the mid-1960s, the completion I-89 provided for increased auto and truck access to the County, and between this region and other parts of Vermont and the United States. During this period, the County enjoyed lower unemployment and higher wages than the rest of Vermont. Prosperity spawned new housing and nonresidential development, increasingly in the suburban communities around the County’s historic urban core.

1973
THE CHAMBER GETS A NEW NAME

As the Chamber expands across Northwest Vermont, it adopts a new name: the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce

THE CHAMBER GETS INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY

The Chamber at this time became much more active in building a stronger community by becoming engaged in community events.  The Chamber sponsored such things as an Aviation Weekend Show and a Transportation Week with a Vermont truck rodeo, helicopter rides, and the US Air Force Thunderbirds.  This is the time that the Chamber also began its connection with our regional non-profits.

1986
THE CHAMBER GETS DIGITAL

The Chamber database becomes computerized and IBM PCs are purchased creating the Chamber’s first computer network.

First Chamber Annual Fall Foliage Antiques Show is launched, attracting hundreds of tourists and locals.

1988
SIGNATURE PROGRAMMING CREATED

First government relations lobbyist is hired.

Leadership Champlain is created

The Vermont Convention Bureau is created

1990
OUR ADVOCACY WORK TAKES SHAPE

A Government Relations department is created and a full-time government relations director is hired. 

1991
ADDRESSING A WORKFORCE NEED

Answering the call of the business community for a better prepared workforce, the Chamber adopts Project Assist, the first business-K-12 education partnership in Vermont.

1993
A PIVOTAL MOMENT FOR THE BOARD

The Chamber elects its first female Board Chair, Hinda Miller

1994
60 MAIN STREET

The Chamber moves to its current home at 60 Main Street co-locating with GBIC and SBDC.

1995
THE CHAMBER TAKES ON THE INTERNET

The Chamber secures www.vermont.org as a web domain and launches its first web site  

 

1995
SUPPORTING OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE

The Chamber receives federal school-to-work funding and establishes the Lake Champlain Regional School-to-Work Collaborative, to provide grants to K-12 schools through Chittenden County.

The Lake Champlain Workforce Investment Board is established with support from the state’s Department of Labor creating  the first WIB in Vermont.

1998
WELCOMING TOURIST

 The Chamber assumes operation of the Williston I-89 North rest area and information booth at the Burlington International Airport.

1999
SUPPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

The Chamber receives funding from the VT Department of Education to create a technical education pilot project.

2000
WELCOMING JETBLUE

Chamber coordinates effort to attract jetBlue to serve Burlington

2004
REGIONAL TECHNICAL CENTER

The Chamber coordinates public outreach in support of a bond vote for a Regional Technical Center

2006
LEAVING A LEGACY

After 20 years, Wayne Roberts retires as president of the Chamber.

2009
ADVOCATING FOR MARRIAGE RIGHTS

The Chamber parted company with the Governor and lost some community support by testifying in support of same-sex marriage. 

2010
A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL NETWORK

The Chamber launches Burlington Young Professionals

2013
ACCELERATING BUSINESS

LaunchVT is created

2016
CREATING MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES

TIPS is launched to partner motivated high school students with internships

The professional mentoring program is created 

2019
BURLINGTON IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Hello Burlington, our region's first (unofficial) destination marketing organization, is created

The State of the Greater Burlington Young Professional Community Survey gathers important data to guide policy and decision makers

2020
WEATHERING THE STORM AND LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE

The Chamber becomes instrumental in helping businesses navigate the pandemic, coordinating the largest coalition of Vermont organizations to-date to prevent the taxation of forgiven PPP loans. 

The Chamber rebrands to better showcase its bold, spirited, innovative and accomplished identity

Cathy Davis becomes president of the Chamber, the first woman leader in decades.