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Community Advancement
Leadership | Talent | DE&I

People are core to our region's prosperity. The Chamber's Community Advancement team cultivates leaders to step into our community's greatest challenges and works alongside our region's employers and educators to build and develop our workforce. Our efforts are all centered around ensuring economic mobility for all.

Our region is filled with bright leaders who want to create change and make our region the best it can be. Through our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work, leadership development, informative programs and talent initiatives, we are fueling leaders with the information, access and resources they need to advance our region. We use a regional and inclusive approach, because we are better and stronger together.

Our Work
Leadership Development

Check out the Lowcountry Minority Business Directory

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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Diversity, equity and inclusion genuinely underpins business performance. Diverse teams are better able to help their companies and the economic mobility of individual employees. By 2050, the U.S. stands to gain $8 trillion in GDP by closing the nation’s racial equity gap. Lessening and eliminating disparities for others benefits everyone. By offering programs and resources, we are leading our region’s businesses in creating a climate where everyone has the opportunity to live, learn and earn.

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Leadership Development

The Chamber offers programs focused on helping talent in our region become better leaders and citizens and are targeted to serve specific groups at different stages of their career paths. We are committed to leadership development as a source of talent development and recruitment. Our Leadership Development programs provide the region with an ongoing source of leaders that are prepared and committed to serve as catalysts for positive change in our community.

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Charleston Young Professionals

Charleston Young Professionals (CYP) is an arm of the Chamber to attract, retain and develop young professionals in the Charleston region. CYP, 1000+ members-strong, is widely recognized as an action-oriented powerhouse of the region’s up and coming young leaders.

CYP has four key pillars that guide our programs, events and initiatives: Connections, Policy, Professional Development and Service.

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Talent

Talent is a critical challenge for our region's employers. Simply put, there are more job openings than people looking for jobs. Our talent team utilizes a data-driven approach to identify our high-demand talent needs and collaborates with both businesses and educators to upskill our current workforce and build a skilled talent pool for the future. Attracting, developing and retaining employees is integral to an employers ongoing success - we are here to provide the access and resources employers need.

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Latest News

Community Advancement Team

Richard Waring
Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
843.471.1285
Contact Richard
Therese Gordon
Associate Vice President of Leadership
843.805.3007
Contact Therese
Celeste Granger
Associate Vice President of Talent
843.805.3031
Contact Celeste
Celeste O'Keefe
Leadership & Programs Coordinator
843.805.3040
Contact Celeste
Darryl Brown
Director of Emerging Workforce & Trident Regional Career Specialist
843.471.2576
Contact Darryl