Chamber Junior Board looks forward to 2021

In May 2019, the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce created its new Junior Board, consisting of professionals ages 25-35 who live, work or originally come from Mountain Brook.

The idea for the new organization came from the chamber’s 2018 Strategic Planning Committee.

The Junior Board assists the chamber in planning events, helps train a new generation of leaders for the chamber and the city and also provides the much-needed perspective of a younger generation.

Kim McGuire, 32, became president of the Junior Board in September 2019 and will continue that role in 2021.

She serves as director of franchise services for Chester’s International in English Village.

The board’s creation shows that the chamber is “committed to evolving and attracting young people to the city and bringing awareness to the many amazing businesses that operate here,” McGuire told Village Living.

“I’ve been working with this amazing group of Gen Z and millennials since it started, and I believe it’s a huge step in the right direction for Mountain Brook,” she said.

“As our city changes and grows it’s vital to have input from young leaders,” she said.

Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of most of the Junior Board’s activities in 2020.

However, members “are looking forward to bringing a lot of these ideas to fruition in 2021 and beyond,” McGuire said.

As the inaugural Junior Board, McGuire and her fellow members had the opportunity to write the bylaws for the organization and build it from the ground up.

“I look at my role as president and member as a way to serve the community where I live, where my son goes to school and where I work,” McGuire said.

The Junior Board can help “bring fresh ideas and perspectives on ways to attract young professionals to the city to shop, dine, play and live local in Mountain Brook,” McGuire said.

The COVID-19 pandemic put the brakes on the organization’s first major planned event, Village Supper Club.

Junior Board members were well underway in planning the event, which was scheduled for May 2020.

“We partnered with local businesses to sponsor the event as a showcase for our local restaurants and businesses,” McGuire said. “We designed the event so that in the future it could be taken to each village and showcase the personality and unique offerings of each one.”

At press time, the Junior Board had no specific projects scheduled for 2021, but the group — including its 17 new members — planned to meet in mid-January.

“I’m excited to hear fresh ideas and build upon the events we had planned for 2020,” McGuire said.

The Junior Board will “definitely explore” the possibility of doing some virtual events in 2021, McGuire said.

“The Chamber’s virtual Bingo was really fun, and I think our group can also use virtual platforms as a tool to accomplish our purpose, coupled with safe and fun in person events in 2021,” she said.