Baker County Chamber of Commerce celebrates 100 years in operation
By Logan Bagett on Tuesday, March 31st, 2026 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY — Community members were recognized last Saturday as the Baker County Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau held their Annual Banquet and Awards Ceremony. The Chamber celebrated their 100-year anniversary on March 28th.
Noteworthy awards include Legacy Woman of the Year, Janice Plumtree; Legacy Man of the Year, Norm Kolb; Woman of the Year Diana Brown; and Man of the Year, Brian Veater.
Find the full list of Baker County Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau award winners below:
- Entrepreneur of the Year -Fred’s Truck & Auto Repair
- The Mindy Sherrieb Volunteer Award– Lisa Jones
- Legacy Woman of the Year– Janice Plumtree
- Legacy Man of the Year– Norm Kolb
- Woman of the Year– Diana Brown
- Man of the Year– Brian Vegter
- Event of the Year – SPEAKER SERIES- Baker Heritage Museum
- Project of the Year– Central Park Splash Pad
- Nonprofit of the Year– Wade Williams Foundation
- Excellence in Agriculture– John and Janice Wirth
- Hospitality & Tourism Champion– Jessica Hobson
- Business of the Year– Superior Towing
Find a full press release issued by the Baker County Chamber of Commerce below:
(From the Baker County Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau)
The Baker County Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 100-year anniversary with a Centennial Banquet and Annual Meeting recognizing community award recipients, honoring the Chamber’s history, and emphasizing its continuing role in leadership, advocacy, and economic development across Baker County.
Executive Director Christopher Hobson opened the evening by welcoming attendees and emphasizing the significance of the occasion.
“Welcome and thank you for being here. Historic night. Historic year…”
Hobson tied the Chamber’s centennial to its institutional roots and long-standing civic presence in Baker County, saying, “From our predecessor the Commercial club and their meetings at Geiser Grande Hotel to our first lease at the Baker Hotel to when we changed our name to the Baker County Chamber of Commerce in 1926 then registering with the state as a business in 1934…”
He also highlighted the Chamber’s historic involvement in shaping the region’s broader community and economic framework.
“Downtown is in the historic district that we helped register in Baker City. Baker City is in Baker County which we played an in instrumental role in defining transient lodging tax from a dollar a day to the 70/25/5 percentages that you know today. Baker County is in Oregon not just on 84 but Oregon is I five and 101 we are Oregonians.”
Looking across several major milestones, Hobson added, “So cheers to the Chamber of Commerce 100 year anniversary. Miners Jubilee 50th anniversary under us. My two year anniversary is next week as your executive Director. But most importantly, cheers to America 250!”
He concluded the opening with the line, “We the people – by the people – for the people”
During the annual meeting, Hobson focused on the Chamber’s present-day mission and the responsibilities that come with leadership. He described the meeting as a chance to reflect on “…what this organization is, what it can be, and what it needs from all of us.”
He then laid out the role of the board and the Chamber in direct terms:
“A Chamber board exists to provide strategic direction, financial oversight, policy leadership, Executive Director support and evaluation, community advocacy, and ambassador energy for the organization. That means attending, governing, promoting, recruiting, helping shape priorities, and carrying the Chamber into the community with consistency and confidence.
So my message to the board is this:
We need to govern clearly, advocate confidently, and use this organization for what it was built to do: represent business, connect communities, and help define the kind of economic environment we want for Baker County.”
Hobson also emphasized that the Chamber’s work is rooted in the day-to-day concerns of local businesses throughout the county.
“We represent businesses across Baker County, in every incorporated city, including Baker City. When we speak, we should speak as partners. And the issues our members keep bringing forward are not abstract. They are practical. They are immediate. They are about whether the systems around them are fair, transparent, and functional.”
A central theme of the annual meeting was the link between business climate, public systems, and economic growth. Hobson said:
“People want transparency. They want to see where the money goes.
That is also why our conversations around business registration matter.
A complete registry helps with safety, communication, planning, and economic development. It creates clarity. It creates fairness. It acknowledges the difference between a year-round brick-and-mortar business and a temporary or mobile operator, while still setting a common expectation for everyone doing business in the city. And for the members who do support a business license, they want to know one thing above all else: where would that money go, and would it support the systems businesses rely on?
Housing conversations matter too, because housing is economic development.
If you build 200 houses, and 100 of those bring new residents to Baker County, and those households spend an average of $30,000 locally, that is $3 million in new money moving through our community. Those residents do not just shop here. Many of them would work here, invest here, and some of them go on to start businesses here. That is what real economic development looks like. It is not one lane. It is not one department. It is a system.”
He also underscored the importance of strengthening existing businesses first, saying, “A company that undercuts local commerce is not the same thing as one that strengthens an existing local industry.”
On growth strategy, Hobson said:
“People talk about business retention and expansion. I would put it a little differently today:
Business retention, THEN expansion.
That is the order.
Protect what is here. Strengthen what is here. Build the infrastructure that supports what is here. Then grow from a position of strength.”
He later framed the Chamber’s centennial as both a celebration and a responsibility:
“This organization is celebrating its 100-year anniversary. That is not a fun fact. That is a century of responsibility. A century of people stepping forward to build, support, organize, advocate, and invest in Baker County. This is about leaving Baker County stronger than we found it. That is the promise Leo Adler made. That is the inheritance. And that is the job.”
He closed with a challenge to leadership and the business community:
“This Chamber is ready.
Ready to lead.
Ready to coordinate.
Ready to implement.
Ready to stop being underutilized and start being fully used for the benefit of this county.
The only real question is whether those of you listening today are ready to act like it.
And whether our businesses are ready to support us.”
A major feature of the evening was a presentation by Norm Kolb, who honored the life and legacy of Leo Adler, the businessman and philanthropist who helped established the Chamber in 1926. Kolb’s remarks validated the depth and meaning of the Chamber’s 100-year history by tracing Adler’s story from humble beginnings to lasting influence in Baker County.
Kolb described Adler as practical, observant, and self-made, saying, “Leo was kind of a self-made very successful person.”
He also said Adler “had the contacts that were unusual,” while emphasizing that Adler remained loyal to Baker and used his influence in ways that benefited others.
Kolb further described Adler’s straightforward nature with the line, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and highlighted the lasting reach of his philanthropy through the Leo Adler Foundation. “Today we have awarded $42 million,” Kolb said, explaining that the foundation has awarded 12,000 scholarships totaling $26 million, along with 1,700 community grants totaling $16 million.
The annual meeting also featured remarks from Katelyn Harrison, IOM [Institute for Organization Management] manager of the Northwest Region for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, whose presentation reinforced the Chamber’s leadership role in economic development by placing local issues within a broader national business context.
Harrison said the U.S. economy remains resilient and described current conditions this way: “Growth is steady, inflation is cooling gradually, and the jobs engine is adapting to a smaller workforce.”
She also highlighted recent federal policy changes affecting business, saying they created “major long-term wins for businesses, especially on tax policy.” She added that the legislation “provides long-term certainty, supports investment, and strengthens the competitiveness of businesses of all sizes.”
On one of the clearest local themes of the evening, Harrison said, “The playbook makes one message unmistakably clear: housing policy is economic policy,” adding that increasing supply is essential if Baker County wants “employers to grow, families to stay, and young people to see a future here.”
Harrison also called for “smart funding reforms and a streamlined permitting process” to keep the country competitive. She closed by saying that “all of these items mentioned today are critical to our economic growth,” and that with the right policies in place, “the sky is the limit for success in our rural and urban business communities.”
Together, the remarks from Hobson, Kolb, and Harrison underscored a shared message throughout the evening: the Baker County Chamber’s century of history remains relevant because the organization continues to serve as a platform for business advocacy, community leadership, and economic development.
