2025 State of Business Program

Name: 2025 State of Business Program

Date: May 13, 2025

Time: 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM PDT

Website: http://www.springfield-chamber.org

Registration: Register Now

Event Description:

Join us for the Springfield Chamber of Commerce's annual State of Business program, a timely and engaging conversation on Oregon’s economic outlook, business climate, and policy landscape. This year’s program brings together leading voices from the economic and advocacy arenas to share data-driven insights and actionable perspectives.

TAKE THE BUSINESS CLIMATE SURVEY HERE!

Get an exclusive first look at early results from our 2025 Business Climate Survey, offering a snapshot of how Springfield-area businesses view the current economic landscape, emerging challenges, and the region’s competitive advantages. This preview is your chance to hear what local employers are saying before the full report is released later this spring.

Presenters:


JL Wilson	Mark McMullen	Angela Wilhelms
Contract Lobbyist Oregon State Chamber of Commerce	Vice President of Policy & Research Common Sense Institute	President & CEO Oregon Business & Industry

Program Overview:
7:30 AM – Networking & light breakfast
8:00 AM – Springfield Chamber welcome + Business Climate Survey preliminary findings
8:15 AM – Presentation: JL Wilson, Oregon State Chamber of Commerce
8:30 AM – Presentation: Mark McMullen, Common Sense Institute
8:50 AM – Presentation: Angela Wilhelms, Oregon Business & Industry
9:10 AM – Facilitated Q&A with all speakers (moderated by Vonnie Mikkelsen)
9:30 AM – Program concludes

We’ll wrap our morning with a facilitated Q&A, where you’ll get a chance to pose questions to each of our speakers. Whether you're a business leader, policymaker, or community advocate, this is a program you don’t want to miss!

JL Wilson
Contract Lobbyist, Oregon State Chamber of Commerce
JL will provide a real-time update on the 2025 legislative session and the state-level advocacy efforts shaping the business environment.

JL Wilson comes with a 20-year history in public affairs and lobbying as past Executive Director of NFIB/Oregon and past Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at Associated Oregon Industries. Wilson has been a full-time lobbyist representing primarily business interests since 2000. Prior to that, he served as Legislative Director for two Speakers of the Oregon House.

Mark McMullen
Vice President of Policy & Research, Common Sense Institute
Mark will present on the Institute’s recent State Budget Report, examining Oregon’s fiscal outlook, long-term budget pressures, and the impact on our state’s economic competitiveness.

Mark McMullen brings a wealth of expertise to CSI, having served as the longest-tenured Chief Economist for the State of Oregon under three governors. Serving under a fourth governor as interim Chief Economist his first year, Mark accumulated 14 years of invaluable experience in the governor’s office. Before joining CSI, Mark held prominent roles, including Director of Consulting at Moody’s Analytics and researcher at the Congressional Budget Office. He earned his undergraduate degree from Pomona College and completed his graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

Angela Wilhelms
President & CEO, Oregon Business & Industry
Angela will speak to findings from a recent external recruitment and retention study commissioned by Business Oregon, and will share how those insights connect to OBI’s broader efforts to restore Oregon’s business competitiveness and economic resilience.

Angela Wilhelms joined OBI as president and CEO in September 2021. Before joining OBI, Angela served as secretary to the University of Oregon’s board of trustees, where she played a critical role in establishing the university’s governing practices and operations. Prior to joining the university, Angela had a successful career in public policy. She served as chief of staff to the former Oregon House Co-Speaker Bruce Hanna and held the same role in the House Minority Office. She also has spent time in Washington, D.C., serving as press secretary to retired Rep. Greg Walden. Angela also was of counsel in the Portland office of the law firm Dunn Carney, specializing in comprehensive government affairs services. Angela serves on the boards for Sport Oregon, the Oregon State Capitol Foundation and Common Sense Institute Oregon.

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