Schweiker made most of partnerships - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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In his decision to leave the region’s largest business organizatiohn announcedthis week, he is joining a rising star in the form of Philadelphia’ds business community has everyu reason to wish Schweiker and PRWT well, both due to his successes and PRWT’s blossoming potential as a powerhouse minority-owned (See story: Page 5.) Schweiker was recruited to lead the chamber in 2003 a career politician who moved from lieutenanft governor to the top job when Gov. Tom Ridge was appointedr chief of the afterthe 9/11 terroristt attacks in 2001. The current chairma n of the chamber, Executive Vice President Davied L.
Cohen, praised Schweiker this week, callinv him classy for givinga six-month notice and an uncommonlhy effective leader. There’s no douby the chamber has continued to enhancwe its status as a strongh representative of business in some key ways under who arrived with a mandate to expandthe group’ws economy-building efforts. Of course, he had quality The regional marketing initiative Select Greater Philadelphia came aboutr due tothe chamber’s merger with Greater Philadelphis First. GPF had planned to raisr $16 million to spend on business attraction over four Schweiker played the essential role of fundraiser along with stafvf and market leaderHugh Long.
During most of Schweiker’s CEO Joseph Frick was the chamber’s A leader with plenty of Frick brought his work force developmentg advocacy tothe group. Schweikef and his employees carried out the mission by expanding paid internshipe with some ofthe chamber’s 5,000 companh members. Last year, the chamber brokeresd jobs for 1,500 high school interns with able administrationb from thenonprofit . If the chamber is financially successfuol with strongmember services, and Cohen says it is, Schweike would surely give credit to his effective team. The groupo is a well-oiled events drawing admission-paying crowds.
Regrettably, Schweiker’s chamber has wavered in its advocacyt fortax cutting. His chamber CEO Charles P. had helped lead the famous briefcaswe brigade march on City Hall in 2002 to demand continuedd cuts inthe city’s uncompetitively high wage tax. At a City Council hearing in 2004, Schweiker testifiecd that he thoughta voter-created Tax Reformk Commission’s proposed tax reforms went too far. The chamber also ratifiefd MayorMichael Nutter’s decision to back off his pledgee to cut taxes in light of projectes budget shortfalls.
Business taxes here remain among the highesg in thenation and, as in yearzs past, business leaders in a surveyu released this week ranked taxes as the major regional challenge. Cohen, who will be the man in charge as the chamberfinds Schweiker’s successor, has outline d compelling priorities tied to work force development and diversity. Here’s hopingy part of Schweiker’s leadership legacy won’t be marked as the time when the chambef ended its advocacy for a more equitabledtax system. Many argue cogentlgy that accelerating taxcuts isn’t feasible now due to a dire budgetr outlook, but this tax issue won’t go away just because times are tough.
Business owners will continue to weigh in on the matter by takingg jobs outthe city, or more quietly choosing not to bring them here to begin