History

The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce

Serving the Business Community for Nearly A Century

Since its beginning, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce has worked to make Greater Miami the best possible place in which to live, work, and visit. It has served its members with a pioneering spirit, leading the way in a rapidly changing world. Its first steps into the 21st century remain true to this spirit.

The Greater Miami Chamber continues to redefine its role as a dependable leader in establishing this region as the preeminent international business center, while reinforcing stronger ethics in local business and government. This community demands sound business practices and application of advanced technology. The Chamber responds with leadership and support to achieve progress.

The Chamber's predecessor, the Miami Board of Trade, was organized shortly after the City of Miami's incorporation in 1896 and chartered in 1907. It worked to obtain deep water access to Miami's natural harbor, critical to developing Miami-Dade County's agricultural resources. Today, the Port of Miami is the world's premier cruise port and a primary cargo hub for Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Far East.

The Board of Trade and the Merchants' Association later united to become the Miami Chamber of Commerce. E.G. "Ev" Sewell became president in 1915 and, through his efforts, Miami became one of the nation's best-publicized areas. During his tenure, the Chamber's endeavors to build the community focused on aviation, clean water, tourism, spring training baseball, and preserving space for parks. Minutes of Chamber meetings survive since 1919. They provide lively reading, chronicling the events and people that shaped early Miami's politics and economy.

Following the hurricane of 1926, the Chamber exerted strong leadership in raising relief funds for typhoid inoculations and for the improvement of sanitary conditions. During the 1930's, the Chamber focused on economic recovery and the establishment of a better port.

During the war years, the economic growth of the area subsided. However, the Chamber's leaders recognized that Miami was poised for growth that strengthened Latin American ties were natural, and Miami was developing as a major aviation center. The Chamber was well positioned to work toward shaping the international future of the city.

Growth and prosperity continued into the 60's. In 1967, the Chamber formed a study group chaired by community leader and newspaper executive Alvah Chapman Jr. This committee recommended the creation of a system of action committees with specific, measurable goals and the achievement of civic progress throughout the entire Greater Miami community by creating 35 independent civic organizations.

The Chamber created the New World Center Action Committee to stimulate downtown development. High-rise office buildings, hotels and the waterfront Bayside Marketplace were constructed, while Bayfront Park was created. Through its Transportation Summits in 1988 and 1995 and in-depth studies, the Chamber laid the groundwork for meeting the transportation needs of the community. The size and scope of today's Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami and Miami International Airport are great contributors to the unprecedented growth of the local international trade industry.

Leadership Miami, and orientation for potential community leaders, was launched in 1979 and continues with a new class enrolling each fall. Recognizing the need for a county-wide marketing approach for both the visitor industry and economic development, the Chamber was instrumental in founding the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Beacon Council in the 1980s. Today these entities are strong organizations with close ties to the Chamber.

In late summer of 1992, Hurricane Andrew - among the worst natural disaster in the history of our country - spent its full force in the Southern region of Greater Miami, causing an estimated $20 billion in damage to businesses, homes, and schools. The Chamber's immediate response was twofold, recovery and rebuilding.

At its 1995 Goals Conference, the Greater Miami Chamber established a Community Long Range Planning Committee. The committee was charged with developing a master plan to create high-paying jobs in fast-growing industries. One Community One Goal: Creating Jobs for the 21st Century evolved from that effort. The comprehensive project identified several industries for growth including biomedical, film and entertainment, financial services, information technology, international commerce, and telecommunications. As a direct result, the Miami Medical Alliance was established to market Miami as a significant medical center. Additionally, the International Services Network was launched to increase the volume of services exported by Florida Businesses.

Today, our mission and vision remains focused. Throughout the spring of 2003, the Chamber's volunteer leadership once again structured a taskforce that would map the future of the Chamber, its members and its community. The group was comprised of individuals representing the GMCC membership and its industries. The result of their deliberations and analyses was the Chamber's Strategic Plan. This plan focuses on key issues related to the mission of the Chamber with special attention given to membership services, economic development, advocacy, and revenue and value enhancement - in addition to the Chamber's strong commitment to quality of life issues.

As a not-for-profit organization primarily funded by its membership, the Chamber is a direct reflection of Greater Miami's abundance of small-to-mid-sized businesses and its ethnically diverse community. These characteristics are also represented among the leadership of the Chamber.

The Greater Miami Chamber is a thriving organization with over 5,000 dedicated volunteers. As an activist chamber with a social conscience and a history of assuming authoritative roles, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce continues to serve its membership and the community responsibly.