He brings a dose of fun to a dull institution: the chamber of commerce

As a kid, Neal Padgett wanted to be in show business. He ended up studying accounting in college, but he’s found a way to bring glitz and glamour to his job as president of the Garner Chamber of Commerce. Padgett, 63, who recently received a statewide award for his work, has helped double the business group’s revenue in the 11 years he’s been at the helm.

Q: Chambers of commerce, which work to connect businesses and promote their interests, can seem like a real snooze to regular folks. How do you keep things interesting?

A: We hold functions where you dress up, and it’s a lot like getting an Oscar here in Garner. The whole show biz thing kicks in and makes it better.

I have always had an interest in show business. Even though I chose not to major in music, I think I’ve had more music opportunities than many people who did major in music. I didn’t chase that dream, but I was able to incorporate the dream into current life.

Q: Is it true that one year you performed a rap song for work?

A: Yes. I rapped at an official chamber event and someone said, “I heard you rapped in public,” and I said, “Yeah I did. I can rap; do you want to hear it?”

Q: How have you increased revenue?

A: Through sponsorships and partnerships. People like the things we’re doing and companies like to have their name on those events, and they’ve been very generous.

Q: The “Broadway Voices” series is one example. What is it?

A: It’s three concerts per year. We bring in a Broadway star, and they bring a musical director and put on a show just for the local audience here. We’re now in our eighth season.

Q: What else does the Garner chamber do?

A: We do an economic development conference called CONNECT that most chambers our size don’t do. We even do a bus tour of Garner for Garner business leaders. We were doing it for businesses who were coming into the area to visit, but all the local people were so interested, we tried it the following year. And we filled up two buses.

Q: How many members does the chamber have?

A: We’re just over 500. Our town population is about 29,000.

Q: What did you do before you worked at the Garner chamber?

A: I started my career with Duke Energy. I was there for 20 years. I was also the corporate controller for (a franchisee of) Manpower, the staffing agency. The company I was with got bought out, and I was unexpectedly needing a job. Because I’ve always lived here and always been very active in the community ... the board of directors asked if I’d be interested in talking with them, and the rest is history.

Q: In October you were named the 2017 North Carolina Chamber Executive of the Year by the Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. What does it mean to be recognized by your peers?

A: It’s an honor that my people here thought I was deserving of nomination and then an honor that the other chamber of commerce presidents selected me. They are incredibly talented and hardworking.

Q: What’s one challenge for you as a business leader?

A: Coming up with fresh, new ideas and keeping them fresh.

Ideas never just come from one event. They evolve. You have ideas, other ideas grow from that. You listen to people, and it ends up turning into a successful event.

This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 9:47 AM with the headline "He brings a dose of fun to a dull institution: the chamber of commerce."