Leadership notes: The road quite traveled

By now, you may have heard or read that I will be winding down my role with the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. It has been a fun and exhilarating ride for me over these nearly two decades serving the business community in this critical position and leading this highly respected and actively engaged organization.

I am extremely proud of the work the Chamber has accomplished during my tenure, and I am confident those achievements will continue unabated and even more will be realized because of the partnerships the Chamber has forged over the last 20 years. Those relationships are critical to our city’s continued vibrancy and prosperity. I can honestly say those relationships have meant the world to me both professionally and personally. But the real opportunity is being given the chance to meet and engage with the “doers” – the people who do not just talk the talk but walk the walk. These are the people who begin, work on and end up making transformational changes. In fact, I am proud to say that many of those individuals have become my lifelong friends.

My role has afforded me a unique opportunity to see and engage in a variety of activities that have profound impacts on the community. I think back on the companies that either started or relocated here, along with the jobs they provided. Boeing, Amazon, Dell and Costco certainly come to mind. And there are many more examples. And the gains we have made and continue to make in criminal justice reform and diversity within the business community -- achievements that will have long-lasting impacts. But nothing has pleased me more or has been more fulfilling than getting the privilege to lead a staff of high-quality, hardworking, and dedicated individuals who genuinely love their city and want to see its continued transformation.

I do not know what is in store for Oklahoma City for the next 20 years, but I am confident that through the important work of the Chamber, city, and state leadership, as well as community and business visionaries, the future of Oklahoma City as a vibrant, growing, big-league city looks brighter than ever.

Sincerely,

Roy H. Williams, CCE
Chamber CEO & President

This story originally appeared in the March 2022 edition of the VeloCity newsletter.