LEADER COALITION PROGRAM FACT SHEET
LEADER (Legislative Education & Advocacy for the Dayton Region) is a coalition of 28 local
chambers of commerce, which represent over 11,000 businesses throughout the greater
Dayton region. LEADER was started in 2003 as a grassroots initiative to engage local businesses,
business leaders and chambers of commerce in collective government affairs for the Dayton
area business community.
LEADER Regional Grassroots Program

Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce

Brookville Area Chamber of Commerce


Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce

Champaign County Chamber & Visitors
Bureau
The Chamber of Commerce serving
Middletown, Monroe & Trenton

Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce

Carlisle Chamber of Commerce


Sidney/Shelby County Chamber of
Commerce
Covington Chamber of Commerce

Springboro Chamber of Commerce

Springfield-Clark County Chamber of
Commerce

Southwestern Auglaize County
Chamber of Commerce

Tipp City Area Chamber of Commerce

Trotwood Chamber of Commerce

Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce

Darke County Chamber of Commerce

Eaton-Preble County Chamber of
Commerce

Englewood-Northmont Chamber of
Commerce

Fairborn Area Chamber of Commerce

Troy Area Chamber of Commerce

Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce

Vandalia-Butler Chamber of Commerce

Greater Dayton Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce

West Chester Chamber Alliance

Xenia Area Chamber of Commerce

Huber Heights Chamber of Commerce

Kettering/Moraine/Oakwood Chamber
of Commerce

Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce
Highlights of the LEADER Regional Grassroots Program/How the Program Works
The LEADER program is a grassroots advocacy partnership involving 26 metropolitan, suburban,
countywide, and rural chambers of commerce in the Dayton region. The partnership involves two public
policy activities: building relationships with elected officials as well as advocating educating about public
policy issues and their impact the business community.
1. Direct communication with elected officials
The LEADER group meets quarterly to discuss general business issues and to strategize a plan of
action to promote the business perspective to elected officials. Typically, a joint letter signed by
the presidents/executive director of each participating chamber is sent to policymakers when a
majority of chambers are in agreement regarding a particular piece of legislation or issue.
A letter is drafted and sent to the regional elected delegation by the Dayton Area Chamber of
Commerce staff, with all chambers having the opportunity to “opt-out” if their particular
chamber is not in agreement of the issue. A copy of a sample letter is attached. The Dayton
Area Chamber of Commerce incurs all expense in sending correspondence to elected officials.
In addition, all chambers who participate in the LEADER program are invited to participate in the
“Legislative Day at the State Capitol” and local legislative receptions which the Dayton Area
Chamber organizes and incurs all expenses. The purpose of these events is to meet with the
state elected delegation and build relationships, as well as to learn more about public policy
issues.
2. Education and communications with our members
The LEADER partnership, through the staff assistance provided by the Dayton Area Chamber of
Commerce, tracks local, state and federal legislation that has the potential to impact Dayton
area businesses. The LEADER partners agree to alert its members when policymakers are
considering business-related policies.
The Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce creates Action Alerts when elected officials are
considering a legislative issue of interest to the business community. This Action Alert is
distributed to the entire LEADER partnership. The LEADER partners then have the option to
forward the Action Alert to its members, in any manner that each particular chamber sees fit.
(Some forward the Action Alert to the Legislative Committee, others copy-and-paste the text
into a newsletter. There is no preferred method of distribution.) The goal is simply to inform as
many businesses as possible of the issue and to encourage those businesses to contact their
elected officials so that legislators receive a groundswell of information from the business
community.
All meetings are working lunches and are held in Room 208 (Executive
Conference Room) of the Dayton Convention Center, unless otherwise noted.