Chamber’s new leader: Balance key for Boulder

BOULDER — After 23 years in Boulder, John Tayer is seen as the go-to guy for the business community and others, say many who know him.

So it makes sense that he’s the new president and chief executive of the Boulder Chamber after a national search. Tayer’s start date is Dec. 3. His new job was announced Nov. 12.

“I would be hard-pressed to identify anybody else who could bridge so many diverse constituencies that the chamber serves any better,” said Ron Secrist, Boulder Community Hospital Foundation chairman. “He is just such an effective relationship creator.”

Tayer most recently was a spokesman at Corden Pharma Colorado Inc. for more than 10 years. He also is well-known in the community for his previous role as the Boulder city manager’s director of policy development and intergovernmental affairs coordinator. He is a Regional Transportation District director representing the Boulder area.

“The biggest goal of mine is to make sure that the chamber is as strong as possible a voice for business community interests,” Tayer said. “We live in a very special community with a balance of environmental and social values and a strong economy. We know that that balance is only maintained by having a vibrant business community and an economy that continues to be very strong.”

Tayer said he wants to focus on “unabashed economic development” in his new job as well as being open to “attractive” businesses that might want to be based locally.

“(This) doesn’t always mean growing big,” Tayer said. “It means being strong and vibrant and fresh and supporting the businesses that are already here and an entrepreneurial culture that builds new businesses.”

It’s great to have a local candidate to lead the chamber, said Gerry Agnes, president of Elevations Credit Union. Agnes led a five-person search team that looked at candidates for the open chamber position. The search committee was helped by Eric Peterson, at Waverly Partners LLC, a national search firm based in Toledo, Ohio.

The chamber launched the nationwide search for a new leader after former president Susan Graf stepped down in May. Tayer’s salary was not disclosed.

“From the search committee perspective,” Agnes said, “when you do a national search and end up with someone locally, it’s nice to know we have the talent here.”

Tayer has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the University of Colorado.

The Boulder Chamber has more than 1,800 business members. It has an operating budget of $1.2 million and 10 staff members. The chamber is an umbrella over the Boulder Economic Council, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Small Business Development Center, which brings an additional 12 staffers and $1.8 million in annual revenue to the organization.