Chairman’s message
The Opportunity is Now!
Thank you for your support of the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce. I am honored and excited to serve as your Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2023.
Overland Park has been a special place for me. I moved to Overland Park just before high school, got married here, launched a business and grew it for 27 years. That business was acquired by Augeo and I am now the president of the experience division, based in booming downtown Overland Park.
Overland Park has always represented opportunity for me. Living here provides the opportunity to receive a quality education, pursue high growth job opportunities, worship, enjoy beautiful parks and trails and recreation, and partake in numerous cultural opportunities. This is a visionary time for Overland Park. I was privileged to serve on the steering committee for ForwardOP, a community vision and strategic plan for continued success into the next
20-25 years.
The Chamber is critical to executing this vision. The Chamber enjoys fearless, strategic, dedicated leadership. Tracey Osborne Oltjen and her team realized the competitive reality emerging from the pandemic – other communities and regions are aggressively pursuing the same businesses, jobs, talent, and investment we want here. Our community needs to adapt, pivot and embrace boldness.
A result of this was the creation of Opportunity NOW, a five-year community and economic development initiative that will ensure our competitiveness as a community. Opportunity Now has three actionable goals: Attract, retain and align talent; Boost job growth and business investment; and Enhance a pro-business environment.
With our sights on the future, we are still recognized for excellence in the present. The Overland Park Chamber was recognized with Five Star accreditation by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is earned by fewer than 1% of all our nation’s chambers. The Chamber has created a future legacy over the last five years with $626.5 million in capital investment and almost 14,000 new and retained jobs. Other achievements include championing the $300 million modernization and expansion of U.S. Highway 69 and graduating more than 1,000 leaders from Leadership Overland Park.
We all have an Overland Park story and our collective stories represent the gifts of opportunity we have received, the drive to provide equitable opportunities for everyone, and the legacy of opportunity that will live for future generations in our community.
Thank you for contributing to this vision for a prosperous future with your support of our chamber.
Joan Wells
President, Experience at Augeo
2023 Chairman of the Board
Overland Park Chamber of Commerce
9001 W 110th St #150,
Overland Park, KS 66210
913.491.3600
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