You know them from the side of a van. A billboard on 54. The magnet on the refrigerator door. The electrician, the plumber, the attorney, the roofer — you know what they do, because that’s the foot they put forward.
What you may not know is that the same people are sitting on nonprofit boards. Running fundraisers so that a family can cover a medical bill. Showing up at their churches, supporting veterans’ initiatives, helping families in need. “Sometimes from the outside, as we look at the business community, we look business first,” said Jamie Minotti, President and CEO of The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce. “But there’s so many of these businesses that are involved in the community.”
Minotti is relatively new to the Pasco business community, arriving at the Chamber after about 25 years in business, following an earlier career in the nonprofit sector and event production. He worked with Chambers from the business side before becoming CEO in December 2024. He got his first taste of how the businesses of Pasco support their community on his arrival. “The business community as a whole has been so welcoming to me and my family. Everybody has been so welcoming and open to sitting down and sharing the history and the wealth of knowledge, helping us build towards the future,” shared Minotti.
And that’s what The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce works to support: both its members and the business community as a whole. “We view our place in the community as an organization that supports the business community. So yes, we support our members. We provide education resources, networking opportunities for our members, and our members know the value of us being able to do what we do. However, we’re also looking at the chamber as an entity that supports the greater business community, whether you’re a member or not. I want to see your business and you succeed, because I want to see you and your family and the business communities and the nonprofits that you support grow as your business grows,” explained Minotti.
Building relationships is at the core of what the Chamber focuses on. Not just because it’s good for the community, but also because it just makes smart business sense. “When you talk about networking and business development, there are more ways out there to do that than ever. But those are transactional. You’re out there, you do the business, you get the deal. Maybe that person becomes a long-term client, maybe they don’t. We don’t look at ourselves as transactional. We’re developing relationships. It’s a very different mindset. You’re building foundation. You’re building growth. You’re building a long-term strategy for your business within not only the business community but the community at large,” shared Minotti.
Finding ways to collaborate within the business community is an important way to build those strategic relationships. While that may feel like a small business concept, it’s actually one well developed by larger organizations. “Initially, businesses tend to see other businesses as competition,” said Minotti. “But when you start thinking more strategically about how these other businesses and you can support each other, growth happens amongst the business community as a whole. A lot of businesses within the chamber and outside the chamber that think this way are some of the larger businesses throughout Pasco.”
That same spirit of collaboration extends beyond business, into the wider community. Local fundraisers, helping families in need and serving on nonprofit boards create connections that strengthen Pasco. “In Pasco, there’s a deep, deep history with a lot of giving, and a lot of involvement and community connection. I don’t know if it’s because of the storms that’s been weathered, or the history, or all of it. But Pasco really does have this community connection and resilience,” said Minotti.
That commitment to support extends to mentorship within the business community as well. “Pasco is amazing in this way. Mentoring new businesses and bringing new businesses into the community is really a strength for Pasco. I see it all the time, and within the chamber we certainly see it and welcome it. That mentorship, that support, is really kind of the backbone of what we’re trying to continue to reinforce here in Pasco."
The chamber not only encourages that type of mentorship; it has a special group within the chamber with that dedicated focus. “We have a group in the chamber called our ambassadors, and our ambassadors are specifically for that — a new business, a new member, a new community leader — our ambassadors work to welcome them into the chamber and help them through the workings of being in the Pasco business community.” The ambassador program has been established in the community for years, well known for its guidance of new business leaders.
Minotti’s read on Pasco is worth something. He’s seen other communities. And Pasco has left an impression. “I’m not originally from here, but Pasco has this community connection and this resilience that I just haven’t experienced in other communities. Even with this amazing new growth, with all of these great things going on — the people in Pasco have the opportunity to grow with the growth.”
Grow with the growth. That’s the idea at the heart of what Minotti sees happening in Pasco. The Chamber’s strategic plan may give that work three formal pillars—economic development, workforce development and business development—but the philosophy behind them is simpler: build relationships, support one another and help the entire community move forward.
Because behind the lawyer on the billboard or the electrician on the side of the van is a neighbor. Someone sitting on a nonprofit board. Sponsoring a fundraiser. Welcoming a new business owner. Sharing what they’ve learned. Showing up when someone needs help.
That, Minotti believes, is what makes Pasco different—and what gives its business community the strength to grow with the growth.
“Sometimes from the outside, as we look at the business community, we look business first. But there’s so many of these businesses that are involved in the community."