Building Relationships with Natalie English, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce

Natalie English, President & CEO, Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Natalie English currently serves as president & CEO of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. She has served for over 20 years in a chamber of a commerce leadership role and over 30 years advocating on behalf of business. Natalie believes it’s her calling to work with business, government, and elected leaders to make her community attractive for business growth and investment. Natalie has almost 30 years of experience monitoring legislative and regulatory issues locally, statewide, and at the federal level. She has a strong track record of success and has been responsible for building community support for many investments in infrastructure that have been key to economic development in the communities in which she has worked. She has leadership experience and a background in affecting policies that impact the cost and ease of doing business, quality of life, and workforce. Natalie has had the opportunity to advocate on behalf of her current community, Wilmington, following Hurricane Florence’s visit to our community and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Natalie led chamber staff to develop communications with members connecting them to resources needed and advocated with elected bodies to define what should be essential businesses. She worked with the Small Business Administration to create a comfortable local presence, so businesses could access the help they needed. Following Hurricane Florence, she worked with United Way leaders to convene a group of community partners that led to the creation of a long-term recovery group that continues to match needs with available resources. Natalie has been a voice on media outlets across the country, letting people know that Wilmington is open for business. Natalie led a team of chamber staff and volunteers to mount an educational campaign regarding the process of exploring potential partnerships for NHRMC. The effort began in the summer of 2019 and culminated in a final 4-1 vote of the