As a former small business owner, chamber member and chamber staffer of eight years, Castle Rock Chamber’s new president, Stacy Garmon, knows the business inside and out.

“I’ve seen all of the different views of the chamber from all of those points of view,” she said.

Garmon, a graduate of from the Institute for Organizational Management through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, took over the top job at the Castle Rock Chamber in December.

She replaces former president Pam Ridler, who retired after 24 years. 

In her first couple of months on the job, Garmon said she’s been getting to meet the excellent chamber staff, learn the businesses and get to know the community. She moved to Castle Rock from Georgia, where she lived in multiple parts of the state.

“There’s a saying in the chamber world that if you’ve seen one chamber, then you’ve seen one chamber,” she said. “They’re all different because communities are different and so are the businesses.”

So far, Garmon sees a lot of opportunities in the town’s growth and welcoming in a variety of businesses. Her and her team recently celebrated the achievement of the chamber receiving a Five-Star Accredation from the US Chamber of Commerce, a national recognition of the chamber’s success.

Castle Rock Chamber is one of just two chambers in Colorado with the Five-Star Accredation distinction. Garmon hopes the honor will highlight the value the chamber offers to local businesses and attract new members.

“We want (businesses) to join our chamber because we excel in governance, government affairs, financial policies, and bylaws,” she said. “We also have elite programming and events.”

One of Garmon’s goals for the chamber is to ensure its supporting businesses through advocacy, networking, training or problem solving. The impacts of the pandemic that linger on workplaces, such as the labor shortage and remote work, are two areas of focus lately, Garmon said.

“We hope that our business members will look to the chamber for guidance on things like connecting with work from home employees, or how are you connecting with your young professionals,” she said.

With 500 current members, and efforts to increase that number, Garmon said another priority is making sure the chamber is providing tools and resources for each kind of business. 

“Not every business has the same needs, so we want to be able to provide for the needs of each of our members,” she said. 

When she’s not at the chamber or connecting with members, Garmon said she spends a lot of time exploring downtown and enjoying Castle Rock’s parks and outdoor amenities. 

“I just love the walkability of the community and the diversity of the events that are offered, like the concerts in Festival Park,” she said. 

Garmon encourages local businesses and community members interested in knowing more about the Castle Rock Chamber to get in touch. She can be reached at stacy@castlerock.org.