Catherine Glover Hopes to Bring Workers to Albany in New Role
Sunday, December 4th, 2011
Sometimes in your career, the right opportunity comes around at the right time – that's the reasoning behind Catherine Glover's decision to leave the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce after three years and join Equinox Chemicals, Inc. as executive vice president of Global Business Development.
"After 22 years of being focused on communities, chambers and economic development, I now have the opportunity to join a company that has huge potential for growth," Glover said, "and I can to bring workers here to Albany."
Glover served as president and chief executive officer of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce and the Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau for three years. Previously, she led the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce in New York and the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber, and worked at the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce and the Eastern Maine Development Corporation.
At Equinox Chemical, Glover describes her global business development role as encompassing everything that drives business growth from branding to marketing strategy to diversification of product line. Equinox Chemicals is a custom organic synthesis research and manufacturing company that specializes in the preparation and design of organic molecules and offers a wide range of synthetic services for government, research and industrial sectors.
Founded in 2003 by Mark Grimaldi who leads the company today, Equinox has grown rapidly and was named “Small Industry of the Year” in March 2009 by the Chamber of Commerce. In 2010, Equinox was recognized by the Small Business Administration as the 2010 Small Business Exporter of the Year in Georgia.
"I'm most looking forward to being able to focus not on thousands of companies – which I've been honored to do – but on one. My job will be to help grow and strengthen the company," Glover said.
Looking back over her tenure with the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, Glover said she is most proud of the Strive2Thrive initiative. Thanks to work by a team of community leaders and Chamber staff members, Albany is the first Circles Campaign, a model for helping families out of poverty that was developed by the Move the Mountain Leadership Center, a nonprofit organization with nearly 20 years of experience in engaging the public to find a solution to end poverty.
"It's a sound business model and we've seen dramatic success in short time," Glover explained. "People have bought into process because they see it is working and I'm very excited about that."
Her biggest disappointment? That she was unable to do more.
"You always want more, more growth, more vitality. We've had an impact on the workforce in Albany for example but I wish we could have impacted it more strongly," she continued.
According to Glover, reducing poverty through initiatives like Strive2Thrive is one way the Chamber has improved the local workforce. Improving educational attainment levels is another way.
"The Encompass program at Albany State is a great example," Glover said. "It strengthens our small business community and engages students so hopefully they will stay here after they graduate."
Encompass is partnership between the Albany Area Chamber and Albany State University. Upper level students provide business-counseling services – including marketing strategies, business plans, accounting services and human resource services among others – to small business owners in the area. The business must employ fewer than 10 employees.
Glover offers these parting words to local business leaders as she prepares to assume her new role at Equinox Chemicals in January:
"Stay strong in uncertain times. And know that your Chamber of Commerce is here to support you as the voice of business in the community."
More information on the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce is available at http://www.albanyga.com.
