By LINDA CHION KENNEY
After years of speculation that the historic Brandon and Riverview chambers of commerce might one day combine, the intent to merge by the end of July has been announced.
Pending the legalities, which includes approval of by-laws drafted by a committee of members from both chamber boards, the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce is set to merge with the Central Hillsborough County Chamber of Commerce, formerly known as the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce.
That name change, approved in 2023, proved unpopular with some chamber members, who argued that “central Hillsborough County” did not adequately reflect where they live and do business. Moreover, that the new name discounted the historic roots of the chamber, for a town once known as Peru, founded in 1966. The Brandon chamber was founded in 1959.
Brandon chamber executive vice president Amber Aaron, next to a sign for Tampa Bay Arts and Education Network
“You can call it whatever you want to, but if your membership basis is people who live in Riverview, you want to keep the Riverview name,” said Jeff Campbell, president of the Central Hillsborough County Chamber of Commerce, in reference to the upcoming Brandon and Riverview Chamber of Commerce.
The move to merge chambers, announced in June 4 emails, is part of a nationwide trend, heralded as a way to increase member services and support, to streamline operations and costs and to expand networking opportunities and market reach. An online query reports such mergers in Florida, including in 2024, Dade City and Zephyrhills, and in 2019, Clearwater and Clearwater Beach, West Pasco and Central Pasco, and Boynton Beach and Boca Raton.
Closer to home is the Greater SouthShore Chamber of Commerce, resulting from the merger of the SouthShore and South Hillsborough chambers of commerce, effective Nov. 15, 2023. This followed the 2011 merging of the Apollo Beach and Ruskin chambers into the SouthShore chamber. In 2020, the Sun City Center Area Chamber of Commerce changed its name to the South Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce.
“I’ve heard nothing but positive things about the Greater SouthShore Chamber of Commerce,” said Amber Aaron, Brandon’s executive vice president. “From what I’ve heard from our dual members, the transition has been pretty much seamless, and they’ve felt the benefit of having the SouthShore and South Hillsborough chambers merge.”
Set for key roles in the upcoming merger are Aaron and Campbell, working with board members from both chambers, who have the final say. Campbell has a background in banking, lending and accounting and has served on the boards of both chambers. Aaron, a 21-year chamber veteran, landed her first chamber job at age 17, working the front desk for Brandon.
With the merger, Aaron rises from Brandon executive vice president to president of the combined chamber, bringing to bear her experience in membership and sponsorship sales, event planning and management, board relations and operations. Aaron is active also with the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals (FACP) and worked with the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce from 2019 to 2022.
“The merger is something that I’m very excited about because it’s a huge opportunity for our business community and the community at large to network [in greater numbers] and to engage in greater numbers with governmental entities in community affairs,” said Campbell, who added that he has lived and worked in the community for 35 years, and knows well the significance of deeply rooted organizations. “That’s the reason we’re using the name ‘Brandon and Riverview’ because both of them have a very strong and rich history, and we don’t want to disregard that and throw it away.”
Linda Chion Kenney photo
Riverview chamber president Jeff Campbell, with Pat Magruder, at the 2024 Harvest Hoopla at Spoto High in Riverview
According to Campbell and Aaron, the workload between them will fit their strengths. Campbell will address finances and membership development, bringing to bear his experience in banking, lending and accounting. Aaron, as the chamber’s president, will focus on events, strategic planning and operations, as she works with Campbell to ensure a member-friendly merging of membership levels, costs and expectations.
“Members can expect a wider network, broader calendar of events, more educational opportunities, robust marketing and sponsorship options, and enhanced advocacy for the combined Brandon and Riverview area,” Aaron said. “Change is always difficult, and so how we overcome that is just to prioritize communication.”
Aaron said the merged chamber in its first year will operate with a combined board of current board members from both chambers, minus any organization duplication.
Toward that end, a meeting is set for 5 to 6:30 p.m., July 9, at Brick’s Smoked Meats, 775 Brandon Town Center Drive. There, members from both chambers can ask questions and learn more about the merger. Brandon chamber members will be asked to approve a change to the Brandon chamber’s by-laws to allow for a larger number of board members. The Riverview chamber’s by-laws already allow for board members to make that determination.