CalChamber Hosts Local Chamber Leaders for Inaugural Policy/Workforce Summit

The inaugural Policy and Workforce Summit brought local chambers together to strengthen public policy advocacy, workforce development, and collaboration across California. CalChamber highlights the event's role in supporting local chambers and advancing a unified voice for business.

The California Chamber of Commerce convened local chamber leaders from across the state for the 2026 Policy and Workforce Summit last month to strengthen the voice of California’s business community through public policy advocacy and innovative workforce development.

The two-day event in Walnut Creek brought together approximately 60 local chamber executives, workforce professionals, and business leaders from across California. The summit featured a variety of panel discussions and keynote speakers.

Public policy-focused panel discussions explored subjects such as the state of business in California, strategies for building and mobilizing grassroots efforts, and the role chambers play in strengthening regional economic development.

Other panels highlighted the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Talent Pipeline Management Framework and the partnerships available across the state to create career pathways benefiting both businesses and job seekers.

The overarching focus was on the challenges local chambers face each day and how they can serve as effective advocates while collaborating with each other and CalChamber.

‘One Community’

“We’re all one community,” said CalChamber President and CEO Jennifer Barrera. “What happens at the local level impacts the state level and vice versa, so to have those relationships and be able to lean on one another and support one another throughout our different challenges is ultimately how we make our state more successful.”

CalChamber designed the event to bring California business community leaders together to build cooperation on policy issues and explore workforce development strategies that activate change and support the state’s long-term economic growth.

Local chamber representatives collaborated on strategy, exchanged advice, and learned best practices from one another to take back to their regions.

Key Partners

CalChamber is committed to supporting its key partners in the local chamber community, and the event equipped attendees with new ideas, resources, and connections to better advocate for businesses in their communities.

“I want our local chambers to have access to resources and ways they can engage in public policy in Sacramento,” said Rana Ghadban, CalChamber vice president of small business advocacy. “I hope that our attendees really walk away feeling more equipped with ways they can influence public policy, bills that are introduced, and how they can engage with their elected officials to ensure the voice of business in their community is heard.”

Following its inaugural year, the Policy and Workforce Summit is expected to become an annual event. As chambers across California continue to navigate economic, workforce, and policy challenges, the summit provided an opportunity to share ideas, strengthen partnerships, and advance a unified voice for the state's business community.

This year’s event was sponsored by Visit Walnut Creek, Hanson Bridgett, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.