The Providence Chamber gets a new president as Laurie White succeeds James Hagan on Oct. 1.
The view from James Hagan’s office reveals what he considers to be one of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce’s most significant achievements during his tenure as the organization’s president.
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“Principally, the most visible sign of our accomplishment is the Providence renaissance,” said Hagan. “The impact it’s had on the city and state has been tremendous. There were so many people involved in the city’s renaissance.”
The bustling Providence Place mall, the uncovered river and the convention center are among the Chamber’s greatest feats of the last 10 years, Hagan said.
“It made the city come alive,” he said.
And while Hagan highlighted these landmarks, his successor, Executive Vice President and President-elect Laurie White, said Hagan’s ability to rally businesspeople around issues has helped the Chamber advance changes in public policy.
White recalled a day in 1990 when more than 2,500 business leaders from around the state marched through downtown Providence to support workers’ compensation reform.
“I can remember when Jim led the march up to the State House,” White said. “It was a stunning sight.
“That kind of thing – being able to communicate clearly and get people interested and getting them to speak up – that largely defines the success of the Chamber,” White said.
Hagan said the Chamber has lobbied for a litany of issues on Smith Hill, helping affect the elimination of the strikers’ benefits statute and workers’ comp reform.
The workers’ comp changes meant $60 million was removed from the system and a 56 percent premium hike was avoided. Changes to unemployment insurance meant that more than $41 million was removed from the system. Over the years, the Chamber also lobbied for the phase-out of the inventory tax, tangible property tax and automobile tax.
Hagan said effectively killing a living wage proposal, city payroll tax initiative and city parking surcharges helped both city residents and those who commute into the city for jobs. The modernization of T.F. Green Airport and the lengthening of the runway have been major factors in the state’s economic development, he said.
When Hagan officially hands the reins of the Chamber over to White on Oct. 1, he said he’s confident the wheels are in motion for the Chamber to continue to be a catalyst for change. The two have worked together since 1987 and have built a strong staff in that time.
Hagan said he plans on “inching into retirement.” He’ll be taking a vacation, and looks to devote more time to the boards of directors on which he serves.
He said he’d make more concrete decisions about his working future after the new year.
Internally, the Chamber has grown by leaps and bounds, Hagan said. When Hagan and White arrived at the Chamber in the late 1980s, there were 1,100 members and the Chamber had $2.5 million in assets. Today, there are more than 3,300 members and $10 million in assets.
“And we’ve managed to have a balanced budget for 18 consecutive years,” Hagan said.
White said she plans to lead the Chamber in much the same way Hagan has – by approaching every issue differently.
“At the Chamber, you have to respond to how issues evolve,” White said. “It’s not a static environment. New conditions emerge every day.”
Tapping a wide variety of businesses and people to affect policy outcomes will remain a critical part of the Chamber’s operating formula, she said.
Going forward, White said she expects tax reform to be an issue the Chamber seizes in an aggressive way.
Helping businesses find ways to utilize technology and work force development to grow their bottom line will be another Chamber priority.
More than 95 percent of the Chamber’s member organizations are small businesses, Hagan said. And since every employee of every member organization is also a member of the Chamber, White said there’s an opportunity to engage employees from all levels in the work that the Chamber does.
“Laurie is a very bright woman with high energy and a thorough knowledge of the Chamber,” Hagan said. “I’m sure she’ll do a terrific job on her own and don’t think she’ll need much advice.”
