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Economic engines of the United States run on the grit and determination of small businesses. Chambers of Commerce keep those financial machines well-oiled by providing the connective services businesses need to thrive.
This rings true in the Battle Born State, where the White Pine Chamber of Commerce (WPCC) is leading a new era of economic growth in one of the most remote areas of the country. Representing small and medium-sized businesses across a diverse array of industries, this 104-year-old Chamber is continuing long-lasting legacies by finding ways of expanding efforts to strengthen this vastly rural region of the state. “Our goal is to facilitate and support economic diversification and growth while ensuring that the fabric of this community remains whole,” says CEO Shadrach Robertson.
Ely’s Economic Power
White Pine County, with its wild landscapes rife with abundant hunting, storied histories of Indigenous Americans, and a tight-knit community, is driven forward through its connection to the land and its resources. The county seat, Ely, is the sixth oldest city in Nevada, and home to a famous National Historic Landmark, the Nevada Northern Railway.
Even while sitting at the crossroads of three major highways, maintaining a thriving, hyperlocal economy here isn’t easy. Ely and White Pine County have seen the boom-and-bust cycles of mining, yet with strategic coordinated efforts of the city, county, and Chamber, the full gamut of local businesses endured the global shutdown of the COVID-19 pandemic with zero closures.
Shadrach, who is also First Gentleman to Ely’s Mayor, Nathan Robertson, co-owns and operates the only laundromat in their city of 5,000 people. They understand the critical role a Chamber plays in the local economy. So when WPCC’s former CEO retired just over one year ago, Shadrach welcomed the board’s invitation to apply for the position. His credentials spoke for themselves: He’d held myriad positions—volunteer firefighter, journalist, beloved middle school teacher—and director or trustee on multiple boards of local organizations.
One of Shadrach’s first initiatives as Chamber CEO was hosting a small business resource exposition, bringing together 27 local, state, and federal organizations. Many business owners left the expo empowered by the connections they’d made—like one Lund cattle rancher who found the funding she needed to expand her business and launch a farm-to-table restaurant. When he isn’t shepherding the city’s redevelopment fund towards small businesses, he is working with green energy companies drawn to White Pine County’s unique geographical location. Shadrach says, “We help these new corporations step gently into the community so they can invest locally while respecting the county’s culture, history, and environment.”
Under Shadrach’s leadership, WPCC also became a founding member of the Silver State Chambers of Commerce, uniting chambers across Nevada, to create a stronger lobbying voice for businesses at the legislative level. For Shadrach, these and many other efforts of the White Pine Chamber of Commerce are all in service to his fellow citizens.
“My neighbors are honest, friendly, and welcoming,” Shadrach says. “The beauty of this community is not just its landscapes, but the people who inhabit it.”
Contact Info:
Name: Shadrach Robertson
Email: Send Email
Organization: White Pine Chamber of Commerce
Address: 636 Aultman Street Ely, NV 89301
Phone: 775-289-8877
Website: https://www.whitepinechamber.com
Release ID: 89134109
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