About Us

About Chamber101 and their Philosophy

When Gordon Dill was in Jaycees, he made a presentation to his local Chamber of Commerce Board about a JC project. After the board meeting the Chamber manager said to him, “You would be good in Chamber work.” He helped Gordon apply for a Chamber manager’s job in another community, close by. After getting the position as Chamber Director, he said, “What next?” He knew nothing about Chamber work. But lucky for him he shared board members with adjacent Chambers. They recommended that he go to Institute for Organizational Management. In institute they talked about job descriptions, policy manuals, procedure manuals, etc.; and his Chamber had none of these. He wanted to see examples and samples. Show him an example and he can sit down and write his own. But all institute taught was theory. About the third year, he was more interested in theory. After completing the US Chamber’s Institute 6-year program in 1977, he always thought there should be some place that Chamber managers could go for examples and samples. 

He took another Chamber job and as he was leaving his current Chamber, he took two of his mentors to lunch, each one separately, and thanked them for all the help they had given him. Sam Porter said, “Gordie, each time we help another Chamber exec, or a Chamber to raise the bar, it raises the bar for all Chambers.” When Gordon took Wes Bush to lunch and thanked him for all his help, Wes said, “When we help another exec grow and his Chamber achieves a higher standard, we raise the professionalism of all people and Chambers.”

Both Sam Porter and Wes Bush are gone now but Gordon has tried to carry on their philosophy for the last 30 or so years, helping anyone he could when asked.

When he bought a lap top computer, he carried it every place he went, and downloaded a lot of samples and examples. After a Chamber luncheon, for Chamber execs, he was downloading a policy for a neighboring exec when he saw 3-people in line with floppy discs in their hands.

One night at dinner, he was telling his son, Doug, about other execs getting downloaded discs and Doug suggested, “Dad, why don’t you put your data up online for the local Chambers to see?” Thus, Chamber101 was born on the world-wide web, which led to world-wide access.  Chamber101 was officially established in June, 2000.

As Gordon neared retirement, he realized that he could not afford to pay for Chamber101 out of his pocket. The dues structure was set-up at that time. To further develop the site, they asked the members to send their best examples and samples.

Gordon is the co-founder and CEO of chamber101. With about 30 years in chamber work, of which 20+ years have been as a chamber chief executive, he is the idea guy on the team. He's curious. Likes to try new things and has a passion for making technology fun for people to use.

Gordon is excited about chamber101 because after living and working so many years in chamber work, he has met a lot of great people associated with chambers and keeping up with them can be challenging. Chamber101 gives him a place to stay updated with what is going on in the chamber industry and what his friends are doing. Not only is he sharing material with his friends, but also with chambers across the United States and worldwide.

Bea has 5-years experience in Chamber work as an administrative assistant to Gordon and about 30-years experience of listening to Gordon’s brainstorms and ideas about Chamber work. Although, the majority of those years she has worked in a non-related industry to Chamber, she also feels she has about 30-years experience. Bea is still the administrative support to this team, doing the bookkeeping, some writing, and paperwork, etc.

What does Rush Limbo say? “I’m having more fun than a human being is supposed to have.” Well, Gordon is having more fun than a Chamber exec is supposed to have. He is running Chamber101.com with no Board of Directors. He gets up at 6am, because that is 9am east coast time, and quits at 10 am, west coast time, unless they go fishing (A big lake is just a mile away.) or they go out to breakfast. Bea & Gordon are having lots of fun in their golden years. Yes, there is life after retirement.