Talking Business.

Jeff Rea is the current president and CEO of the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce and the President & CEO of the Greater Niles, MI Chamber of Commerce.

 

In his position, Rea represents the interests of about 1,300 member businesses that employ more than 60,000 people in North Central Indiana and Southwest Lower Michigan. Rea guides the Chamber's efforts in their three strategic areas of focus: economic development, public policy/advocacy, and destination marketing.

 

Under his leadership, the Chamber has been recognized as the Indiana Chamber of the Year, was a runner-up for National Chamber of the Year, and has achieved 5-star accreditation from the US Chamber of Commerce, an honor achieved by only 105 of the 7022 Chambers of Commerce in the Country.

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Rea is a frequent speaker, trainer, facilitator, and commentator. He is the host of WNIT Television’s Economic Outlook show. This weekly program explores the stories, companies, and people helping drive the regional economy, and is a columnist in the business section of the South Bend Tribune.

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Before coming to the Chamber, Rea served as mayor of the City of Mishawaka, Ind. for 6-1/2 years. During his time as mayor, Rea guided Mishawaka to record economic growth, all while reducing the size of the city budget and the number of city employees. His focus on the efficiency of operations, process improvement, and elimination of waste put the city in a strong financial position during difficult economic times.

 

Before his time as mayor, Rea served as economic development director and city planner for Mishawaka, working to create the right environment for private investment and growth through a business-friendly approach.

 

Rea comes from a family of small business owners, owning the Tribe-O-Rea Drug Store in Mishawaka (53 years) and the Cumberland Pharmacy in Bourbon, Ind. (55 years). It is there where Rea learned at a very young age the value of small business and its importance to the success of the local economy.

 

For more information on some of the work Jeff is involved with, you can also visit www.sbrchamber.com; or www.visitsouthbend.com.