Scott LeBaron (LeBaron Portraits) is a professional photographer who specializes in lifestyle and relationship photography for over 45 years. The Arvada native discusses how his decades-long Chamber membership helps the community that he loves grow and thrive.
What was your goal when you joined the Arvada Chamber as a member?
“I got involved with the Chamber in the early 80s because I wanted to meet the leaders, the who’s who, and see what’s going on. There were great leaders in the Chamber at the time, in the City and other organizations, who took me in and introduced me to bigger concepts: networking, understanding referrals, and knowing there’s a place for everyone to gather, to connect, and make things happen.”
How does the Arvada Chamber help with your goals today?
“The Chamber hosts a lot of events: luncheons, Business After Hours, ribbon cuttings, workshops. The biggest thing is you get access. Access to City people, council members, county reps, state reps, and community service people. It opens up opportunities to talk, not just about business, but also what’s going on in your own community, like your neighborhood, school, church, or other important aspects.”
What does the Chamber’s vision “Healthy businesses, thriving community” mean to you?
“The Chamber moving into their new offices shows great growth and awareness in vision. Moving out of a 100-year-old house, which fit the need in the 80s, signifies that our community has grown and changed. Growth brings challenges, but we figure out how to work through them together.
The Chamber has grown so much and taken on a lot…and it has to to meet the growing needs our our community. Childcare advocacy, workplace environment, affordable housing, inflation, and the boom of Colorado growth. Arvada is a favorite spot for people because of what is offered: business, employment, schools, recreation, parks, safety, and everything that makes the community. The Chamber puts people in place to meet those growing needs. When I joined, we might have been a 30,000 population, now we’re at 100,000. The Chamber needed vision and growth to meet those needs, and there are many issues being met for other industries that I don’t even know exist.”
How does the Arvada Chamber help connect you to community leaders?
“When you build relationships through the Chamber, you have a voice; you come out from your office, company, or comfort zone, and come into the arena where everyone is available. You get introduced to representatives or City leaders, start to forge relationships, and express your needs. It’s about planting seeds and you find that others are in the same position. We are better together when we gather, share, and realize, “Oh, me too.”
“The Chamber is a resource and a starting point. Some things take time, but you need to be in it for the long haul. You can’t just show up once; you cultivate relationships, plant seeds, nurture them, and eventually see a harvest of people and relationships. This may come back financially in business, but it also benefits the community, schools, and neighborhoods.”
Anything else you want to share?
“I’m a grandpa now and we want to build communities for our grandchildren. Priorities change from being about you and your business to family, and then to the next generation. When building community, we need to take care of today’s needs while being good stewards for tomorrow and the next day. We are impacting people we don’t even know. We’re in a great place to have this access and make it accessible for others to have the same or even better experiences.”
The Arvada Chamber of Commerce is a community of businesses, organizations, and local leaders working together to solve challenges, foster meaningful connections, and develop the next generation of talent and leadership. Our work – driving action on conversations, resources, and large-scale initiatives that businesses can’t tackle on their own – is central to the long-term success of our community as a whole. When you play a part, we all thrive. Click here to learn more about joining the Arvada Chamber.
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