The head of the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce plans to step down after a nearly 2 1/2-year tenure during which he increased membership and revenue but endured some harsh criticism.
Robert G. Willis said Thursday he will submit his resignation after the group’s annual dinner Sept. 24, as he begins to look at other career possibilities.
“Now is an opportunity for the chamber to go forward and for new leadership to take it to the next stage,” Willis said. “This is the time period I had envisioned; this falls into the understanding I had arranged with the board of directors (when I took the job).”
Willis, 51, became president and chief executive of the Denver-based chamber in May 2003, succeeding Bob Patton, who resigned in 2002.
Willis, a banker by profession and a former Wells Fargo and Colorado Rockies executive, has boosted membership as well as the chamber’s coffers. Since 2003, membership has grown from 400 to 800. The number of corporate sponsors has doubled to 43, including the addition of giants such as First Data Corp. and Frontier Airlines. The chamber has an annual budget of $500,000, up from $150,000 in 2003.
“Not only did he stabilize the chamber, he was able to build a foundation to help us go forward,” said Darrell E. Nulan, chairman of the chamber’s board of directors. “We always hate to see someone with Bob’s ability move on. I think he did a great job.”
But some members of the chamber criticized Willis’ tenure. The chamber took heat in February, after the NBA All-Star Weekend failed to bring a windfall business to the black community and Denver businesses in general.
Downtown hotels and some businesses benefited from the weekend, but many said their stores, restaurants and parking lots were empty. Members of the black business community thought they would see a boost because the event attracted a large contingent of black athletes, celebrities and spectators.
“Being a member for one year, I haven’t seen anything from the association,” said Ron Springer, owner of Akente Express in Five Points.
Springer said he’s considering joining the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce instead. Bruce Hunter, who runs Core Magazine, said he didn’t join the black chamber for similar reasons.
“I need to get a return on my investment,” Hunter said. “I didn’t see a return at the black chamber but got it a hundredfold at the metro chamber.”
Willis said he plans to remain in Colorado, and he wants to expand his reach by helping all communities, not just blacks. He said he recently turned down a job offer from the chamber of commerce in Montgomery, Ala.
Willis said some of his achievements include helping to get support for the redevelopment of the Dahlia Square Shopping Center in Park Hill and getting black businesses a heads-up on jobs related to FasTracks.
Staff writer Kimberly S. Johnson can be reached at 303-820-1088 or kjohnson@denverpost.com.
