Bobbi-Jo Meuleman Featured in 2023 CEO Speaker Series

On Tuesday, December 12th, members of the community attended a fireside chat with the new Boise Metro Chamber President and CEO, Bobbi-Jo Meuleman, facilitated by Jess Flynn, Founder and CEO of Red Sky. The event was the second-to-last Boise Metro Chamber event in 2023. The final installment of Business After Hours on December 14th will close out the year.

During the CEO Speaker Series, Meuleman gave insight to how she’s achieved her current success. She shared that throughout her career, she took every opportunity she could to advance herself. She asked for more, put herself out there, and never shied away from a challenge. Meuleman credits her time with the present and past Governors of Idaho for her ability to lead. When working with Governor Otter, she learned not to accept “no” for an answer and how to work with others to create an outcome that benefits everyone. Alongside Governor Little, Meuleman honed her skills to manage a crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She feels that Governor Little has always been a “resource of guidance.”

When asked to describe leadership, Meuleman said she believes that being a leader means, “guiding the ship.” It takes someone to make the decisions, elevate others around them, and give them tools to succeed.” Meuleman’s vision for the Boise Metro Chamber is to continue the great work with the same enthusiasm as her predecessor. She plans on continuing to create a strong membership base by deep-diving into what members find most valuable. During the process, she will identify what’s working and what isn’t. Her hope is for the Chamber to become a beneficial partner through community engagement, advocacy, and support.
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Meuleman plans on working with all Chambers here in the Treasure Valley. As she mentioned, “Many businesses across Idaho are facing the same issues such as workforce, housing, and transportation. By narrowing in on what we can handle locally, through partnerships across the valley, we the community can take care of itself over time.” Meuleman gave kudos to the Boise Metro Chamber’s Board members and said they’ve been active advocates within the community who want to help. She said that many of them have approached her with new ideas and projects to partner with. She reported that the support from the Board has been magnificent and that she’s eager to be working with them.

When Jess Flynn pressed about the Chamber’s efforts in policy, Meuleman answered, “You will see more of a presence in the state house,” mentioning the Chamber’s own Policy Committee and members who have government affairs staff. Going forward, she plans for the Chamber to have a more visible presence with advocacy, in lieu of working behind the scenes. Meuleman encouraged members to reach out to her, the Policy Committee, or Tori Thomas, the Chamber’s Community and Government Affairs Manager, to share thoughts and inquire about how they could become more involved.

As the event began to conclude, Bobbi-Jo spoke about her vision for the next year to be filled with continued growth for the Chamber, creating new opportunities for its members and making an impact within the Treasure Valley as an influential partner.