The Ohio Chamber of Commerce wants to focus on bringing economic growth to all parts of Ohio, not just the fast-growing areas like Columbus.
Steve Stivers, the former congressman who took the reins of the Ohio Chamber as president and CEO earlier this year, said the state has seen "uneven economic growth," and that needs to change.
"Columbus and Cincinnati have been doing pretty well," Stivers told Columbus Business First. "Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown, Toledo (and) Dayton have not been doing as well. And a lot of rural areas, especially in Southeast Ohio and Northwest Ohio have not been doing as well. So we're going to try to focus on economic opportunity for all."
Stivers said the chamber is developing a "blueprint for Ohio's economic future" to outline research-based and data-driven strategies that will help connect all parts of Ohio to the growth happening in places like Columbus.
Stivers already knows what some of that blueprint will contain. For example, he said there needs to be a strategy for connecting all Ohioans to broadband internet. And Stivers wants to make venture capital funding to be accessible to entrepreneurs in Ohio's rural areas, not just the cities.
"My goal is that people can have access to their economic dream no matter where they live in Ohio," Stivers said. "They can choose wherever they want to live. And we need to create the conditions that they can have economic success there."
New U.S. Census figures show that Columbus gained 120,000 residents between 2010 and 2020, The Associated Press reported. Meanwhile, 33 of the state's 88 counties lost population. But Stivers said he doesn't think that's necessarily because people don't want to live there.
"When there's less jobs in those areas, people move out," Stivers said. "So if we had real economic opportunity there, then people can decide if they want to move there."
Stivers said he doesn't think the chamber should ignore Columbus and other fast-growing areas. But some cities need more support.
"I don't want it to be seen as we're ignoring Columbus, because we need to fuel the growth in Columbus," Stivers said. "Columbus is driving the growth of Ohio right now. But at the same time, I want to help even out and help the folks that are disadvantaged. We'll never have perfectly even growth. It's like I tell my 8-year-old son: 'Life isn't completely fair.' My goal is not to make life completely fair. My goal is to help those that need it, and fuel the growth that we already have."
Stivers said he's also focused on improving diversity and equity, both in the organization itself and for the chamber's 8,000 members, who are requesting help with having "a more diverse supply chain."
"When I got to the chamber, I looked around, and there were about 20 staff, and they all looked like me," said Stivers, who is a white man. "And frankly, I felt like that was a problem if we're going to inspire all 11 million Ohioans to succeed."
Stivers said he believes it's important for the chamber to have "a diverse staff, a diverse board, and a diverse executive committee, and a diverse senior staff" so they can help a more diverse membership as well.
"I want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to foster entrepreneurism in the minority community and support those minority businesses as they try to start and as they try to grow," Stivers said. "I don't claim to be a diversity expert. I just know I believe in economic opportunity for all and this falls in that bucket for me."
