About Us

Mission Statement

"To represent our membership by advocating a healthy economic climate through the effective use of our unique regional resources to enhance the quality of life in the greater Yuma area."

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Message from the Chairman

 On behalf of the Board of Directors for the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce, it is my sincere honor and privilege to serve as the 2019/20 chairperson for our area's premier business organization. Yuma, AZ is a unique community; having grown up here, I have experienced first-hand the secret of why folks love living here. Few other communities in the country that have the generosity and individual giving spirit that almost all Yumans have, we are always open to helping a fellow Yuman or one the hundreds of outstanding non-profits we have serving Yuma. I am excited to continue to grow our already solid relationships with other non-profit and civic organizations, as the Caballeros de Yuma, Hospice of Yuma, Amberly's Place, Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation, and Visit Yuma. With our dedicated Chamber staff (which is the best) and an incredible and invaluable team of volunteer ambassadors, we will continue to uphold the mission of Yuma County Chamber of Commerce. That mission is to represent our membership by advocating for a healthy economic climate through the effective use of our unique regional resources to enhance the quality of life in the Greater Yuma area. Our expanding partnerships in South Yuma County – specifically San Luis, Somerton, and Gadsden – are integral to our collective economy, and we are thrilled to be representing those communities as well.

One promise I make to all of the members is that I will always put the interest of Yumans and our Yuma County business community first. It is an exciting time to live here, the economy is doing well, and we have several potential projects coming up that will portray Yuma in a very positive light. My personal favorite is the possible Space Port! Yuma could be launching satellites into space in the next few years. I remember my younger years and looking up in the sky to see McDonnell Douglas testing new airline jets and wondering if we would ever have real commercial aircraft flying in and out of Yuma. Well, that is a reality now, because of the superb work the board at the Yuma County Airport is doing. Today we even have direct flights to Dallas/Fort Worth a major American Airlines hub. Our military partners are also doing some amazing things and continue to excel. MCAS has the first operational Marine F-35-squadron and YPG continues to expand it's testing with NASA and tech giants like Google.

The Board of Directors and I are eager to give our time and expertise to this organization because we realize the immense value Yuma County Chamber of Commerce brings to our members and the community. We will stay the course as the voice of local business on the state and national stage, working on Yuma's behalf on critical issues like legislation, military, transportation, and education. If you are not yet a member, please join us. Be my guest at a Good Morning Yuma breakfast, or stop by a monthly mixer. You will see the incredible networking opportunities and meet a group of well-informed people who are as eager to grow our local economy as you are. Your Chamber has recently installed a new program called "Chamber Master" which allows the Chamber to track requests/communications/questions from our members and allows for instant updates to their member listing. I also encourage everyone to use the directory to find goods and services provided by businesses right here in Yuma County. Spend more time in homegrown shops and see what your neighbors have to offer. Lastly, I would like to give a heartfelt thanks to our members and volunteers. Without you, Yuma County Chamber of Commerce could not operate as the best business organization in our area.

Sincerely,

Jeff Byrd
Chairperson of the Board, 2019/20
Community Relations Officer, 1st Bank Yuma

Chamber Staff

Kimberly Kahl
Executive Director
Email: kimberly@yumachamber.org

Sheryl Hehe
Operations Manager
Email: sheryl@yumachamber.org

Tania Pavlak
Outreach & Events Coordinator
Email: tania@yumachamber.org

Diana Wise
Office Assistant
Email: diana@yumachamber.org

Chamber Board Of Directors

Chairman
Jeff Byrd
1st Bank Yuma

  Past Chair
Art Morales
PrimeLending Mortgage

Treasurer
Lisa Reilly
Yuma Sun

Secretary
Paul Brierley
Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture

Dr. Michael Sabath
NAU Yuma

Howard Blitz
The Freedom Library

Reetika Dhawan
Arizona Western College

Adrian Elder
Yuma Investment Group Wealth Management

Bill Regenhardt
Yuma Sun

Chris Wheeler
Prison Hill Brewing Co.

Rodney Short
Caballeros de Yuma

 
Regina Twomey
Arizona Public Service