As indicated in the 2009 Competitive Assessment, produced by Market Street Services for the Springfield Business Development Corporation (SBDC), one weakness for attracting and retaining a qualified workforce in the Springfield area is the lack of diversity. 

In 2010 the Chamber took a leadership role in further civic engagement, with a particular focus on underrepresented segments of the population.  This was done by communicating the connection between a culturally diverse community and economic sustainability.

The Chamber is continuing to search for solutions for the identified obstacles to the Springfield area’s economic competitiveness including the lack of racial, ethnic and cultural diversity and our region’s growing culture of poverty.

One such initiative is the Facing Racism Program, a two-day program conducted by locally-trained volunteers committed to providing a caring atmosphere while focusing on helping participants to understand the history of racism and how it still affects people today.