We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kelly Flannery a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelly , thanks for joining us today. Have you ever experienced an industry-wide U-Turn? Tell us about it?

The year 2020 was one giant U-Turn! The Chamber industry is all about connections and relationships, and it is often done by providing opportunities of our members to gather. Annually, the South Tampa Chamber hosts nearly 100 events and programs each year ranging from small, facilitated networking events to a large Taste of South Tampa festival. In 2020 we were unable to gather for the better part of the year and we had to quickly figure out other ways to connect and engage our members. With in a week of the Safer at Home orders being implemented we converted our programming to virtual, when applicable. For many of our members connecting with each other through the Chamber was the only access they had to the outside world for a period of time. Separate from the events aspect, we also had to shift our services based on the needs of our members at that time. We went back to the basics, our staff and board of directors got on the phone and started calling members to simply ask them – what do you need right now? It was a great way to reconnect, but also gave us the insight to know which direction to go. They needed information, recourses and access, which are all things we are experts at procuring! In a year when many businesses struggled to stay open, they still found value in their chamber membership. We finished the year with our highest retention rate ever by both percentage and revenue.

Kelly , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As the president and chief executive officer of the South Tampa Chamber, I work with business owners and community leaders each day to make South Tampa the best place to live, work and play. I am a proud graduate of Florida State University with a B.S. in Political Science. Prior to my work at the Chamber, my background includes sales, marketing, and management for ClubCorp, Marriott, Front Burner Brands and Millennium Copthorne Hotels.

In 2017 the South Tampa Chamber was recognized by the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals (FACP) as a Certified+ Chamber. Less than 30 chambers in the state of Florida have achieved certification. FACP certification illustrates that our chamber follows the best practices of our industry.

In 2018 the South Tampa Chamber was recognized by the U.S. Chamber as a Three-Star Chamber of Valor, Hiring Our Heroes’ highest honor for local and state chambers recognizing demonstrated leadership in connecting companies with talented veteran and military spouse candidates.

In 2019 I became a Florida Certified Chamber Professional (FCCP), a designation shared with only 18 chamber executives in the State of Florida. Currently, I am expanding my industry knowledge as a part of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute of Organizational Management, designed to enhance individual performance, elevate professional standards, and recognize association, chamber of commerce, and other nonprofit professionals who demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of nonprofit management. I am in my third year of the four year program.

The South Tampa Chamber is proud to be named the FACP 2020 Chamber of the Year. The Chamber of the Year is awarded based on culmination of 3 years of work in the areas of Financial Stability, Strategic Planning, Membership, Advocacy, Communications, Programming, and Innovation.

The South Tampa Chamber is also a two-time Business of Pride Honoree for our advocacy of equality and diversity in the workplace.

Any advice for managing a team?

Get to know your people! We have a small but mighty team at the South Tampa Chamber with four full time employees and there is also a lot of overlap in our individual areas of responsibility so we have to work effectively together. A few of the ways we connect are weekly team meetings, monthly team lunches and quarterly team building activities. And while “perks” are nice, more importantly I want them to be empowered to lead and create. We have a highly collaborative work environment, and although many decisions are ultimately mine to make, I value their feedback and ideas and I want their buy in when we are rolling out a new program or service. I think it is also important to give them a safe space to fail. Not every idea is a winner and we all make mistakes, but they know they will not be reprimanded for them. We will talk it out and work together to find a solution.
We also value and encourage our team members to focus on a healthy work life balance. We have a competitive PTO policy and give extra days off before/after a holiday. If a team member needs to work from home while waiting on a repair person, or needs to take the afternoon off for a doctors appointment we make it both possible and easy for them to do so. I don’t want them to be available 24/7.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Show up & follow through. – When I was first appointed the CEO of the South Tampa Chamber almost 10 years ago, I was one of the youngest CEOs in my industry. In my local market, I was not yet well known and often times the youngest person in the room. I came to meetings prepared and always made sure to follow through on any action items or activities that were expected of me. Over time I became someone that others knew they could count on and who could get things done.

Get involved & volunteer – I am a joiner and when I do, I give 100%. I joined the the state association for my industry, the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals, and just completed multiple terms on the board of directors. I currently on the board for the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida and have volunteered for programs such as Camp CEO. I have net some of the most incredible and like minded people through participation.

Find your niche – You can not be all things to all people. Find your place based on your strengths and find resources to share for the areas that are not your areas of expertise.

Be nice – Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” And it’s true, how you treat people and how people feel when they are around you is one of the most important lessons learned. We all have bad days and when I have a misstep I recognize and it and address it as quickly as possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.SouthTampaChamber.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyaflannery1
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyaflannery
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyaflannery/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellyaflannery

Image Credits
PamElla Lee Photography South Tampa Chamber