President's Welcome Letter

"The mission of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce is to promote and enhance the economic vitality of Lawrence and Douglas County, and to be the leading advocate on issues that affect the economic well-being of our members."

We invite you to learn more about our organization, our history and the numerous ways to become involved through the use of our website. The Lawrence Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1878 and incorporated in 1922. The original Articles of Incorporation read that, "the object of this Organization is for the purpose of advancing the commercial, industrial, educational and civic interests of the City of Lawrence." Those same ideals are still pursued 127 years later, as the Chamber and its members continue to promote and enhance the economic vitality of Lawrence and Douglas County.

Our organization is somewhat unique. We house four departmental entities within the Chamber: Membership, Leadership Lawrence, Convention & Visitors Bureau and Economic Development. This ensures that our program of work is unified under the "house umbrella" and it compliments our efforts to enhance our image and effectiveness while representing the business needs of Lawrence and Douglas County.

On behalf of our opproximately 1700 serving business representatives we work hard to achieve the goals and the mission of thee Chamber on a daily basis.

Enjoy browsing through our new website. If one of our staff can better serve your needs, please do not hesitate to call on us.

Lavern Squier
President and CEO, Lawrence Chamber of Commerce