Book Explores Spring Hill

It’s been a busy couple of months for Cheri LaBoy since taking the position of CEO at the Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce. 

She brings a wealth of experience to the job, having served in the same position in Pendleton, Oregon, for the past seven years. However, she admits that there are some differences that have taken some getting used to – whether culturally, geographically, or even with regard to the weather. Overall, however, the Tennessee summer heat hasn’t been a problem.

“My husband and I traveled around quite a bit and did a lot of research on where we wanted to live,” LaBoy says. She pauses, then adds, with a laugh, “He was born and raised on the Big Island of Hawaii, so he was ready to go back to muggy.”

Since the move, she has been met with the warm, welcoming Southern hospitality she expected. It’s been helpful as she hit the ground running, working to learn as much as possible about the area.  

“Learning about the community, learning the laws here, discovering the representative for this, how this works, and so forth. So, those kinds of things have sort of been my learning curve."

One of the biggest surprises for LaBoy has been the area’s explosive growth. 

“It’s been amazing to see the growth of Spring Hill,” she says. “Where I come from, you don’t see communities growing like this, so much in such a short amount of time. So, that’s been really interesting.”

That rapid growth only underscores the critical role of the Chamber of Commerce. She describes it as being that voice for business” and “filling the gap” between business and government. 

“So many mom-and-pop businesses don’t have lobbyists or folks who can dive into the different changes in the labor industry or perhaps help them understand what something like a moratorium passed by the city might mean,” LaBoy explains. “They’re too busy working and don’t have time after a 14-hour day to go home and read up on those things. So, that’s where we step in, that’s our job, that’s my job, to figure those things out and give you the Cliff Notes version.”

LaBoy says the Spring Hill Chamber already has a strong foundation in place. The goal is to simply continue to build on it, into the future.

“The bones of this Chamber are very strong, and the programs already underway are really exciting. So, we’re just going to tweak what they’ve been doing a little bit, elevate the programming, but also over the next six months, get out into the community more and gather input from our members. We want to give businesses the opportunity to be seen and heard, and let us know what they need from us.”

In the next couple of months, LaBoy plans to launch a members' survey. She hopes business owners will be responsive. 

“I respect people’s time, so it won’t be anything egregious, but it will really help us focus on business owners’ needs. We need our members to tell us what things are keeping them up at night and give us that broader voice, so it’s not just us throwing spaghetti at the wall to determine what’s important to them.”

LaBoy is excited about what lies ahead for Spring Hill, and how the Chamber can become an even better advocate for its members. 

“Our only job is to work for your business,” she says, “while you’re working for your business."

To learn more about the Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce, visit springhillchamber.com.