DeKalb Chamber of Commerce celebrates 100 years of getting down to business

DeKALB – The DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, a historic institution in DeKalb County, marked a significant milestone in 2024: its 100th anniversary.

Founded in 1924, the chamber has been a mainstay in the community, outfitting area business owners and professionals with an array of resources and programming tailored to meet their needs.

“It’s an exciting time, obviously, any time an organization has been around for 100 years,” Executive Director Matt Duffy said. “It’s pretty exciting for everybody involved. It’s obviously changed a lot over the years, and we’re just excited to get a chance to celebrate it here in our 100th year.”

Duffy has been working for the chamber the past 15 years.

He noted how the organization has grown over time.

“I actually started in a time when it was going through the recession and businesses were trying to find ways to do things more efficiently saving money,” he said. “We found that the chamber was a great way for them to do that. Maybe in the past they were involved because it was a civic responsibility supporting the community, but maybe they weren’t looking at it as much as a way to help their business. So, we’ve continued to add programming, events and different ways to assist businesses to thrive in their community.”

Membership has grown from about 400 to 600 in his time at the chamber, Duffy said. He said that with change has come the responsibility to adapt.

“Things change more quickly,” Duffy said. “I think each year we’re trying to evaluate that. We don’t just do things the way they’ve always done. We try to keep making changes so that it’s reflective of how business is done nowadays.”

In a statement, chamber board Chairwoman LaCretia Konan heaped praise on the chamber for delivering on its mission.

“The chamber has an unwavering commitment to understanding and addressing our members' evolving needs, which has been key to success,” Konan wrote. “By offering relevant training and hosting events that foster community engagement and promote business excellence, the chamber consistently demonstrates its dedication to creating opportunities and driving success.”

Bill McMahon, owner of the Lincoln Inn at Faranda’s and a longtime DeKalb chamber member, said he’s pleased to know that the chamber has been a resource in the community as long as it has.

“I’m excited for the chamber because I’ve watched them grow almost exponentially,” McMahon said. “I remember the first time I went to a chamber annual dinner. It was probably back in 1995. It was held at the old [DeKalb County] Farm Bureau downtown. ... They probably had 100 people at the dinner. I still go to them and, actually this year, the chamber will be hosting their annual dinner at Faranda’s.”

Research, preservation and celebration

Throughout its centennial anniversary, the chamber has marked the occasion by telling stories of other businesses celebrating their own milestones.

This year, the chamber hosted its Chamber Studio, which provided an avenue to make it happen.

Duffy described the initiative as being a hit with members.

“I think people have really enjoyed sharing their stories, hearing their stories and learning new things,” Duffy said.

Inspiration for capping off century

The chamber’s 100th anniversary provides not only a chance to look back, but also a vision for the future.

Duffy said he would like chamber programming to be flexible enough to respond to current times.

“Maybe something will change in the near future, so we try to make sure that we’re always looking at things strategically in the short term as well as taking a look at the long term,” Duffy said. “For example, I mentioned our Leadership Academy. We continue to evolve that each year. The academy that started 21 years ago, and the academy that people are going through now are much different. The concepts are the same, but maybe what we do and how we do it is much different based on the needs and what things are happening today. We’re always trying to accomplish new things.”

The DeKalb chamber plans to wrap up the commemoration of its 100th anniversary during its annual meeting Feb. 6. At that time, the chamber will honor its Hall of Fame and Business of the Year honorees.

“With most of our events and programs throughout the year, we’ve had a chance to celebrate in a variety of different ways,” Duffy said.