23-05-2025
US Chamber CEO's advice for Boston business community: Be more welcoming
'I would say that it's almost all positive,' Clark said. '[But] there is something going on right now where you have to decide what inclusive means to you, you know? Does diversity include conservative thought? Because there are a lot of people in this country who aren't sure, right? There's a lot of conversation about: Would I be welcome in Boston? Would I be welcome at some of the elite institutions? Would my viewpoint be welcome?'
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Clark, whose group is more conservative than the Boston chamber, noted the local trope that many people can live here for 25 years and not feel like a Bostonian.
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'That's in one way great for your culture,' Clark said, '[and] in another way, not great for vibrancy.'
Before speaking to the Boston chamber, she had met with a group of local business executives — something she often does when she visits a city. The bottom line: The concerns in Boston aren't all that different from those in other cities, though she concedes there's a heightened worry here about cuts to federal research and how that might affect the region's universities and research hospitals.
The US Chamber is currently focused on getting some version of President Trump's tax-cut bill through Congress. (The House passed the legislation, but it still needs Senate approval.) On taxes and deregulation, the US Chamber is in strong alignment with Trump. But they differ on tariffs, and the chamber recently sent a request to the Trump administration asking for exemptions from tariffs for small businesses, and for agricultural products that aren't grown here.
Mostly, in her chamber speech, Clark made the case for stoking economic growth, saying that while it can't solve all of the nation's problems, it's tough to solve many of them without that growth.
The chamber, per its annual tradition, also doled out 'Distinguished Bostonians' awards to key business leaders who contribute to the city's economic and social fabric. This year, honorees included Jane Steinmetz of Ernst & Young, Michael Curry of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, and Anne Klibanski of Mass General Brigham. The chamber's previous board chairs, along with current chair Corey Thomas, feted Rooney with a video in honor of his 10 years as chief executive.
And Governor Maura Healey bounded up on stage to tout her administration's accomplishments, and to provide some encouragement to the business leaders while also seeming to make the case why she should be elected again in 2026. (Two Republicans, Brian Shortsleeve and Michael Kinnealy, have emerged to run against Healey, a Democrat.)
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'In a time of crisis, use it as an opportunity,' Healey told the crowd. 'I know we are capable of great things. We proved that 250 years ago when shots rang out by a bridge in Concord and a green in Lexington. That's Massachusetts. That's in our DNA. ... We're going to get through this and we're going to be stronger for it.'
This is an installment of our weekly Bold Types column about the movers and shakers on Boston's business scene.
Jon Chesto can be reached at
