Earlier this month,
Saul Newton, president and chief executive officer of the
Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce, announced
he would be stepping down from his role in October.
Since its inception eight years ago, the Veterans Chamber has gone on to develop more than two dozen educational, marketing and direct assistance programs that serve more than 500 member businesses and organizations. During his tenure, Newton helped launch the Command Post, a business accelerator for veteran entrepreneurs. He spearheaded the creation of the Wisconsin Veterans Business Conference and Milwaukee Veterans Week.
BizTimes Milwaukee reporter Ashley Smart recently caught up with Newton to learn more about his decision to step down and reflect on his time with the chamber.
How’d you know it was time to step down?
“That’s probably the question I’ve gotten the most since the news became public. Honestly, it’s just time. I had the opportunity to start and grow this organization to the point it’s at now and I’ve been in the same role throughout that entire time. I’m keenly aware of the benefit of new perspectives and new leadership and I’ve also seen organizations where the founder has maybe stayed around a little too long, to the detriment of the organization. We received a significant ($100,000) grant from the state last year, our team has grown to 10 people…we’re at a place where the organization is stable and in a good position to go to a next level. I always wanted to get the organization to the point that it would be able to exist without me. I feel like I’ve gotten to that point.”
Can you share where you’re headed next?
“I do have an opportunity that I’ve accepted that’s not public yet, so I’ll keep that close to the vest now. I’m staying in Milwaukee and staying in nonprofits. Just working in a different capacity. I’ll always be very committed to working with veterans and the veterans/military business community here. It’s obviously a passion of mine so I’ll still be involved, just in a different capacity.”
What’s the biggest challenge you had to guide the chamber through?
“We have done so much over eight years. I always found starting new programs, like the accelerator program, were challenges I’ve always enjoyed. The biggest challenge that I experienced was basically building. COVID and being able to fulfill the mission of an organization that’s dedicated to ecosystem building and community building and relationship cultivation without being able to gather in person (was the biggest challenge). Prior to COVID, our entire operation model revolved around doing things in person. (We had to ask) what is our value to our members if we’re not able to provide that and how can we accomplish our role as a chamber without bringing people together?
Were there additional health concerns given the population the chamber serves?
“It definitely added an extra layer because this is a population that’s more vulnerable to respiratory issues. It’s actually not just older veterans, but a lot of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who still have significant respiratory issues. As much as COVID has become politicized, we were very much concerned with the safety of our members. We don’t want to do anything to put anyone in jeopardy. We just didn’t have the option to even test the boundaries. We really had to look at how we create value for our members and fundamentally change that.”
So, what new strategies did you implement?
“Just like everybody, we tried out a lot of different things. We tried virtual programming for a while. We leaned into the value we could provide from a marketing standpoint. We thought about how we could promote our veteran businesses and how we could really leverage the platforms we have to bring the community together. We actually ended up raising $25,000 that went to veteran-serving organizations in the Milwaukee area. We tried a lot of different things, but I think the resolution that came out of that was coming to the realization that chambers of commerce are much more than networking. It’s really about being a convener of stakeholders and resources. When small business resources were coming online, we could get that information out. We really became that information hub. I think that’s something we've really carried with us in the years since. It’s more than hosting a happy hour. It’s really about building a community.”
How has your vision of the chamber changed since its inception?
“What I’ve really found is economic development and expanding economic opportunities for veterans…that can be owning a business. That can also be finding a fulfilling career. That can also be making sure you have a high quality of life. All those things are interdependent.”
What goal did you not have a chance to accomplish?
“I always have ideas bouncing around in my head… things I want to try or do. The one area where I think there’s still a need that this organization can address, as well as others, is more professional development opportunities for veterans who are early in their career. Whether that’s mentorship or leadership development programs… things like that. The military has its own version of leadership development. It’s very effective but the military is a very different world than the civilian world.”
What characteristics will the chamber’s next leader need to be successful?
“I can answer that with what I’ve found to be the keys to success. Which, first, was being flexible and being willing to try new things. If something doesn’t work, take those lessons, apply them and try again. I also think it should be someone who is really focused on providing value to the members of the organization. Making sure the entire organization from top to bottom is committed to seeing our members be successful.”
