New Woodstock Chamber president seeks to grow membership

The Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry has a new leader, bringing on someone with a background in marketing to fill the role of its president.

Brad Ball, who took over as president March 7, said he has an eye on continuing to grow the organization’s membership base and help guide industries out of the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said he thinks the organization is a strong one in its current form and can increase its membership base, currently in the high 200s, to 400 members in the next couple of years.

To that end, the goal will also be to remain flexible in the services the chamber can offer to the broader business community, Ball said.

“Woodstock is a city that is growing,” he said. “There are many great things that are continuing to come to Woodstock, and one thing the Chamber will have to do is be able to remain flexible, so we can be proactive in how we can best help the needs of our members.”

Several industries, such as retail and restaurants, are also still picking up the pieces as they move out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ball said communication with those businesses to understand their needs will be crucial. He also wants to meet with newer members to understand why they chose Woodstock.

“It’s picking up the phone, knocking on doors, getting to know those needs,” he said.

Ball was brought on after the role of president was vacated by Danielle Gulli, who took on the role of executive director of business development for the city of Woodstock.

The Chamber’s chairperson, Darrin Flynn, in a March release, said Ball’s previous experience prepared him for his new role.

“Brad’s prior marketing, event management and chamber leadership roles makes him an excellent fit in order to accomplish our goals of elevated service to our business community,” he said in a statement.

Ball has served as executive director for the Cary-Grove Area Chamber of Commerce and as associate director of the Northcenter Chamber of Commerce in Chicago, as well as for a variety of companies in marketing, according to the release.

That includes as vice president at Big Buzz Idea Group, which provides management services to nonprofit organizations. He also worked as the marketing services manager for National Alliance on Mental Illness Illinois and as social media manager for the National Association of Women Business Owners.

One thing Ball said surprised him about the Chamber was its relationship with the city of Woodstock. He said a lot of Chambers may not have great working relationships with their municipalities. He said both the city and its chamber are in sync with supporting the business community.

Woodstock Mayor Michael Turner told the Northwest Herald he thinks Ball will make a great addition to the chamber, calling him a “terrific fit for the leadership role.”

“His knowledge and experience with Woodstock will help him get up to speed very quickly,” Turner said. “I think he will do a great job.”