Spotlight on Courtney Thompson, President and CEO of the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce

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Courtney Thompson serves as the President and CEO of the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce. Waynesboro-based marketing firm, Standout Arts, LLC, spoke with her about her role, her passion for building relationships, and her advocacy for the business community.

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Thompson has been involved with the Chamber since 2010. She began as an ambassador and later served on the board of directors. On March 1, 2020, she assumed her current role as President and CEO, just before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

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“I am really, really thankful that I had the background, knowledge, and experience with the Chamber. Otherwise, that would have been really scary, going into COVID and having no idea what to do. I had a great business plan that I had presented to the hiring committee. Here’s where I want the Chamber to go. Here’s what I want to do. And basically, that all got tossed out the window for the first year or two.”

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One of Thompson’s greatest passions is relationship building, something she says reflects the strength of the local community.

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“We are not a government organization. We’re completely autonomous and entirely membership driven. Our area is all about relationships, and that’s what we get to do every day. We build and create connections. We always say that we don’t have the answer to everything, but we are the connectors. We make connections between businesses, people, customers, and resources. That’s really where we thrive.”

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Thompson explained that the Chamber’s mission is to support the businesses of Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County through shared resources, connections, advocacy, networking, and marketing. “We are working to provide things they need, educationally, so that we have a really healthy, thriving business community.”

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Reflecting on the importance of collaboration, Thompson shared that one of the most inspiring examples of community partnership occurred when she first started her role at the onset of the pandemic.

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“We saw countless examples of people working together. Restaurants were particularly hit hard during the pandemic. We were able to organize a restaurant roundtable and simply give them space to talk to each other. We were not the experts in that industry. We don’t know how to run a restaurant, but we were able to bring people together to discuss supply needs, challenges, and opportunities to share resources so everyone had what they needed.”

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Favorite Part of the Job

When asked about her favorite part of the job, Thompson said that she loves meeting business owners who are passionate about what they do.

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“Business owners love talking about their business. These are people who saw a need and filled it. They didn’t wait for someone else to do it. They took action. They’re passionate about what they do, they’ve grown, they’ve hired people, and they’ve built loyal customer bases. I think that those kinds of stories are fascinating. It’s not about the Chamber or the numbers; it’s about those connections and helping people realize where they fit within the community. Whether it’s personally or professionally, seeing them find that place and realize their value is really rewarding. Everybody is important and everybody has a story, and it’s wonderful to see.”

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Life Outside the Chamber

When asked about life outside of work, Thompson laughed. “We do Chamber pretty much 24/7.” Thompson lives on the same farm where her husband of 21 years, Phil, grew up. They have an 18-year-old son, John Parker. In her limited free time, she devotes herself to her five horses. “They are amazing and such a big part of who I am. I wouldn’t know what to do without them.”

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Faith and Business

As a woman of deep faith, Thompson shared that her personal and professional values are naturally aligned. “I really think it’s just who I am. I’m not any different on Sunday than I am on Monday. I grew up in church. My grandfather was a Baptist preacher, so literally since I was a week old, I’ve been in church. It’s just who I am. I don’t know anything different.”

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Advocacy

Thompson explained that the Chamber is heavily involved in advocacy for business-friendly policies and maintains ongoing communication with local, state, and federal legislators.

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“I think that a lot of people don’t realize how important that is. There are things that never affect businesses because local chambers were at the forefront of addressing them. It’s really hard for a store owner on Main Street to go to Richmond or Washington and have their voice heard. But when they’re united through the Chamber and we go together as one voice, that’s a huge benefit to our members.”

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Final Thoughts

“I just want people to understand how welcoming our business community is and how welcoming our Chamber members are. They love meeting new people. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask what we do or how we can help. That’s what we’re here for...to make connections and provide resources for both new and established businesses.”

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For more information about the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce, visit augustava.com.