More than 20 years ago, Shawn Conrad’s husband, Robert, accepted a job in central Ohio. The family was excited to make the move from Kansas City; the next step was finding the right community.
Grove City, as it turns out, was the perfect fit.
“Grove City is an amazing community,” Conrad says. “The people are diverse and wonderful, and everybody has their own story and own vision.”
Several years ago, Conrad worked as the field director for Prison Fellowship, a Christian non-profit organization for the incarcerated, formerly incarcerated and their families. Unfortunately, a wave of layoffs hit, and her position was eliminated. Conrad didn’t let this slow her down, and she quickly found a new job that suited her excellently – working for the Grove City Area Chamber of Commerce.
“I like my community, I like being involved in the community, I like getting to know people and this job affords me that opportunity,” Conrad says. “It’s great to interact with all the businesses and the administration of our city and just all the people that are involved with making Grove City what it is.”
Conrad has now served as executive director of the GCACC for seven years. She works closely with her staff and the chamber board to help local businesses, host events and provide resources for chamber members.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The necessary quarantine and temporary closure of businesses led to economic loss and many layoffs and furloughs. The GCACC knew that continuing to support its members, big and small, was vital.
The chamber now relays news from the Centers for Disease Control, provides updates on local businesses, links resources for small businesses and local health care options, and more. GCACC also made the 2020 farmers’ market virtual; patrons now shop online at www.gcchamber.org and pick up their orders on Saturday mornings. The chamber plans to continue this virtual platform for the foreseeable future.
One of its biggest initiatives is the GCACC Webinar Series. The weekly discussions have covered everything from restoring cabinets with the locally based shop The Farm Table on 62 to discussing Small Business Administration loans and connecting attendees to other COVID-19 resources.
“We’re trying to reach as many people as we can with as much relevant information as we can,” Conrad says.
“Sometimes when we’re deep in the darkness of whatever we’re going through, it’s hard to see, but there’s lots of light and lots of wonderful, good things.”
Through all of this, Conrad wants to remind people that GCACC is also a small business. It’s classified as a 501(c)(6) and is sustained through memberships, events, program revenue and more. Because of this, Conrad says the staff and board understand and relate to what other small businesses are experiencing.
“We genuinely have real-time compassion for our members,” Conrad says, “and not just the small ones. We’re kind of counting on the big guys to help us to sustain the small guys but they’re struggling as well. … We really are all in this together and we’re trying to provide solutions.”
As of mid-June, the chamber’s largest signature event, Arts in the Alley, is scheduled for Sept. 19-20. The two-day event that attracts more than 30,000 patrons will include a community parade, the Voice of Grove City and more.
Another signature event, WE: LEAD (Women Empowerment Leading and Developing), which was originally set for May 6, has been rescheduled for Oct. 7. Taste of Grove City & Business Expo may happen in late 2020, which was originally scheduled for March 14.
“Sometimes when we’re deep in the darkness of whatever we’re going through, it’s hard to see,” Conrad says, “but there’s lots of light and lots of wonderful, good things.”
Within the past decade, Grove City has experienced major growth and the chamber has roughly doubled its membership to more than 600. Conrad says she feels like she’s holding onto the back of a freight train, but she loves it.
The pandemic has allowed the GCACC and other companies to experience new, and in some cases, more effective communication platforms, work strategies and more. Conrad, like most, is excited for the pandemic to resolve and curious how everything will operate afterward.
“I think it’s going to be really and truly exciting to be on the other side of this crisis and look back and say, ‘Look at what we learned, look at the relationships we grew, look at how we learned to do things differently,’” she says. “I think that’s exciting.”
Lydia Freudenberg is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
