Dublin Chamber of Commerce
Dublin Chamber of Commerce
Dublin Chamber of Commerce
Dublin Chamber of Commerce
Over the past 50 years, Dublin has grown up.
From a farming community with roughly 600 residents to a city with a population of more than 48,000, the community has seen the arrival of the I-270 outerbelt ramp and the Muirfield Village Golf Club, followed by the Memorial Tournament to name a few.
Throughout those changes and decades, the Dublin Chamber of Commerce was growing and expanding as well. Increasing its offerings and support for the businesses and people in its community.
This fall, the Chamber is celebrating 50 years of serving its community and the many more to come.
Ray LaVoie
Just the beginning
When it was established in 1975, the Chamber was made up of 17 local businesses, which had all been brought together by Margery “Margie” Amorose.
New to Dublin, Margie had moved to the area only one year prior with her family; however, she immediately began connecting with her new community and wanted to give back.
For the first 10 to 15 years, Margie was what she calls ‘a volunteer executive director putting in hours upon hours to help the group’, but she didn’t do it alone.
Current Chamber COO Jenny Amorose, Margie’s daughter, grew up helping her mom mail out newsletters and other small tasks, which she says showed her the impact of the Chamber.
“(We have) always helped whatever cause the community needed,” Jenny says. “So, whether it was the Emerald Ball or raising the money to buy the green paint to do the streets, it was supporting all the nonprofits and all that type of stuff. Community building, helping one another, supporting one another.”
Change and growth
Much like the city itself, the Dublin Chamber doesn’t look the same as it did 50 years ago.
Not only has it expanded its membership, which now sits at around 2,000 members, the Chamber also increased its offering of events and educational opportunities for members and the community.
“The Chamber is on fire right now in terms of participation, membership, the growth. The people that we’re reaching, the people that we’re able to help,” says Lisa Gutierrez, 2024-2025 Chamber President. “Businesses are just really looking for something and flourishing through the Chamber.”
Through regular luncheons and big events, such as the Dublin Corporate Charity Cup, businesses have the opportunity to grow their business practices as well as their network. And that network doesn’t just include other businesses.
Events such as the Taste of Dublin have grown in popularity and offer businesses a chance to not only connect with their community but also share their work with it.
The Chamber has also worked to add educational opportunities, such as the Leadership Academy and the Sales Connection Breakfast Series, to help members grow their businesses in other ways.
“When you’re a small business, you don’t have an HR specialist. You don’t have a sales specialist. You don’t have a graphic designer. You’re doing it all by yourself,” Jenny says. “So, to be able to bring in area businesses that can help you learn and navigate that is really, really important.”
Celebrating the past and future
In honor of its anniversary, the Chamber will be hosting some events to commemorate the occasion.
Part one of the event will be a big open gathering that will close down Longshore Street. Anyone and everyone who works in Dublin is welcome and encouraged to join and enjoy the live music, food trucks and four tournaments, such as a cornhole tournament, with the proceeds going to several local nonprofits such as the Dublin Food Pantry and the Dublin Historical Society.
Later in the evening the celebration will shift to part two: a formal dinner where current and past community and business leaders can come together to celebrate.
With such a history to remember and continue to build from, Jenny is hopeful to see the core commitment to businesses and fostering growth in the community stay the same no matter what adventures the Chamber takes on.
“We’re a nonprofit,” Jenny says. “We have a board of directors that’s all volunteer. We have a very, very small staff, but it’s really important to us that we’re still giving back to our community partners.”
Rachel Karas is the lead editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at rkaras@cityscenemediagroup.com.
