Paige Walters Promoted to Vice President

The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the promotion of Paige Walters to Vice President, Strategy, Economic Development, and Advocacy.

Paige joined the Chamber in 2017 and has taken on progressively broader leadership responsibilities throughout her tenure, most recently serving as Senior Director, Economic Development and Advocacy. Her work has grown alongside the Chamber’s expanding focus on workforce development, business advocacy, leadership development, and regional economic strategy.

In her new role, Paige will continue overseeing the Chamber’s signature programs and events supporting economic growth and advocacy, along with its communications staff. Over the coming year, she will work with regional partners to help shape economic development priorities and play a key role in development of the Chamber’s next strategic plan.

Her promotion builds on a broad body of work advancing Chamber priorities and member value. Paige launched and continues to manage the Business Climate Survey, introduced in 2023 to elevate employer perspectives, inform priorities, and strengthen advocacy for the local business environment. She has also overseen the development of signature programs and events including Chamber Roundtable +Tours, State of Business, and the Leadership Summit, and since 2017 has helped steward Leadership Eugene Springfield, strengthening a longstanding program that develops future civic, business, and community leaders.

Paige has also led the growth of the Chamber’s WorkReady initiative and partnerships connecting schools, colleges, universities, employers, and industry. That work includes the Essential Skills Workshop for managers, Mentor Connect, Student Access Pass, the Springfield Chamber Foundation grants supporting Career and Technical Education programs, high school mock interviews, industry placements, and apprenticeship development — creating stronger connections between education, employers, and the region’s future workforce.

“Paige brings a relentless energy to her work and a genuine pursuit of excellence. She is motivated by the next challenge, but always with the larger mission in view — creating opportunities for people to grow in their careers, strengthening civic participation, and improving business and economic outcomes for our community. That combination of drive, purpose, and leadership reflects the kind of people we want serving our members and our community in leadership roles like this.”

– Vonnie Mikkelsen, President and CEO, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce

A Pacific Northwest native, Paige earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Gonzaga University in 2013, with concentrations in Marketing, International Business, and Human Resource Management. Her early career included international service in Turkey and Namibia, where she worked in education and community economic development, including workforce training, income-generation projects, and development of a community business incubation initiative.

Her professional development has continued throughout her Chamber career. Paige has completed two of four years of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management program. From 2018–2019, she participated in the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives’ national Education and Talent Development Fellowship, and she continues to collaborate with partners across Oregon and the country on workforce development initiatives.

In 2023, Paige was named to the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives’ national 40 Under 40 list, recognizing emerging leaders in the chamber profession.

Her promotion reflects both the breadth of leadership she has already demonstrated and the Chamber’s continued investment in the people, partnerships, and strategies that advance member success, strengthen the local business climate, and support long-term economic vitality.