Meet the dynamic new leader of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce.
By Shelly Ridgeway
HQ 117 | SPRING 2022
Tricia Ball knows how to mind her business. In fact, the new president and CEO of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce is among a new era of emerging leaders in the region poised to make their mark in advancing the interests of local businesses. The road she traveled in making Huntington home since 2013, along with her husband Christopher and two young sons, is as storied as her path to the Chamber itself.
Tricia draws from experiences within her own family that are deeply rooted in her upbringing in Farmington, Pennsylvania — a small town situated approximately 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh with a population of close to 1,000 residents. Not surprisingly, business opportunities were quite limited.
“My dad was a truck driver who also worked his logging business in the evenings and on the weekends,” Ball recalled. “We didn’t have a lot growing up, but no one else really did either so you didn’t know you were missing anything.”
As many small business owners will tell you, unforeseen circumstances can force change. In Ball’s case, the family’s lifestyle was dramatically altered when a tree fell onto her dad in a logging accident, rendering him unable to feel or use his arm that was required for both of his jobs. Things were suddenly different. To provide for the family, Ball’s parents opened a pizza shop in a neighboring town that had a thriving whitewater rafting industry. While still in elementary school, Ball learned to work the cash register.
“I didn’t really think much of it at the time, but customers were really surprised to see a young girl with that kind of responsibility,” Ball said.
The pizza shop was only open during the summer tourist months, so running the business was an “all hands on deck” family affair.
“The experience taught me a lot about entrepreneurship, and it instilled a strong work ethic and ‘run it like you own it’ mentality within me,” she noted. “Owning a business is consuming. You can never truly step away from it. On the flip side, though, it has the power to be transformative and open up opportunities that you never even dreamed of.”
Admittedly, Ball’s way of thinking is largely influenced by her own business background and learning opportunities. A first-generation college graduate, she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from West Virginia University and holds a master’s degree in student personnel in higher education from the University of Florida.
Prior to joining the Huntington Chamber, Ball was the associate director for Marshall’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (iCenter), which is part of the university’s Lewis College of Business. She also spent several years in marketing and economic development for the Appalachian Transportation Institute and the Center for Business and Economic Research.
Those opportunities provided Ball with insight into the unique needs among small businesses and startups, which made her an ideal fit for the Huntington Chamber. Within weeks of starting her new job, Ball embarked on a business community “listening tour” with the organization’s executive committee and board members. The goal: to better understand the needs of local business owners and gauge opinions about the perceived value of the Chamber as a business partner.
One of the early revelations from this listening tour was the need to educate local businesses about the benefits of a Chamber membership and how supporting the organization is key to a strong local economy.
Over the years, membership in the Huntington Chamber — which covers Cabell and Wayne counties — has remained steady yet reflects little growth. Not surprisingly, nearly 70% of its members are small businesses with fewer than 10 employees.
The focus on growth opportunities for the Huntington Chamber’s footprint involves retention strategies and attracting new members from neighboring Wayne County, as well as in the Milton and Barboursville communities. A five-year strategic plan is currently being developed and Ball has set a lofty goal — she wants 50% of area businesses to be Chamber members during her tenure. She also believes Huntington is best positioned to attract new businesses by forging even stronger ties with Marshall University.
“I have a design-thinking background. I believe an action plan should allow for iteration as you experiment and learn,” she explained. “But I still think it is important to engage in the strategic planning process to ensure everyone is aligned on vision, mission, goals and how you are measuring impact.”
Steve Roberts, president of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, said Ball’s leadership comes at a pivotal time as both the West Virginia and Tri-State economies grow.
“The Huntington Chamber is a multi-state powerhouse representing the largest metro area between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati,” Roberts said. “It is a uniting force for progress and enjoys the support of a great university community and a growing business and health care base.”
Another important focus of the Huntington Chamber’s work involves advocacy around key infrastructure issues such as accessible roads, wastewater and electricity deficiencies that can have a significant impact on attracting and retaining businesses.
There are also socioeconomic issues that the Chamber supports which can have a long-lasting impact on businesses, such as access to child care — something that has been exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic as women have left the workforce to care for their children. Currently, there is only one spot for every three children in the Huntington region.
“The workforce participation rate in West Virginia is around 54% overall. It’s 50% for women. One of my priorities is to address barriers to people, especially women, entering or re-entering the workforce. Not only does our low workforce participation rate negatively impact our current businesses who are trying to hire employees, but it also hinders our ability to attract new businesses to the area,” Ball said.
At the height of the pandemic crisis, many business owners found themselves in an unprecedented situation that included an extended closure, reduced staffing and limited in-person customer interaction. While things are getting better in terms of the overall business climate, the pandemic has exposed some areas of much-needed improvement.
“Businesses need support in technical areas, marketing and e-commerce, as well as understanding how to scale their business in order to grow it. This is an opportunity for the Chamber to step up and help them achieve their goals,” Ball said.
As part of her business philosophy, Ball cautioned against falling victim to the notion of “Appalachian fatalism,” something she said speaks to cultural issues that can hinder successful entrepreneurship.
“Dream big, but start small,” she advised. “Understand what the market needs, and look for ways to fill a void. We have to open people up to the possibilities that exist.”
In what she describes as her “dream job” with the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce, Ball is very optimistic about the future.
“Let’s create a Huntington where our children have opportunities to thrive here so they don’t have to leave to chase their dreams,” she said.
