If there was a job description for the Greater San Antonio Chamber Ambassadors, it would call for people who enjoy networking, connecting, and building community – along with cutting miles of ribbon, shaking hundreds of hands, and occasionally getting a little confetti in their hair.
The Ambassadors serve as the Greater Chamber’s goodwill representatives, supporting members at ceremonial events, such as grand openings, groundbreakings and milestone celebrations. Through their outreach, they help create a welcoming atmosphere for businesses while strengthening connections across the business community.
Leading that volunteer organization is Greg Kelly, Owner & Principal Advisor of Kelly Financial Partners. He was well-prepared to take the helm at the start of the year, as he has served as an Ambassador for four years and as Vice Chair for the past two years.
“We’re very excited to have Greg’s leadership of this important committee,” said Jeff Webster, President & CEO of the Greater Chamber. “The Ambassadors are our ‘front porch’ as they create a warm and welcoming experience for our members.”
When Kelly joined the Greater Chamber, he had just relocated to the city and launched his business. His startup has grown alongside the chamber, as he has forged meaningful relationships with fellow members and strengthened the chamber’s outreach in the community.
Kelly said deeper involvement in the chamber’s councils and committees allows members to build more meaningful relationships and learn about issues impacting their industries and the overall community. “The councils and committees meet on a monthly basis so when you have folks who come to meetings to learn about what’s going on in health care, education, infrastructure, public policy, and small business, you get more consistent interaction and can learn more about their business needs, as well as what’s going on in the community.”
Kelly recounted the business insights one discovers when attending council meetings. “I sat in on the Healthcare Council a few weeks ago and learned about a bill that was proposed in the Texas House in 2025, didn’t get voted on, but is going to be reconsidered in 2027. That bill has a direct impact on the types of clients that I work with.
“I went to a lot of my business owners and executives and said, ‘Hey, just so you know, this is something that’s going to be brought back up for consideration at the state level in 2027. If it passes, we really need to be well-positioned and well-educated to make a pivot with what we’re doing.’ So that type of involvement is where, outside of networking, there’s value in consistent involvement with the chamber.”
Kelly and his fellow Ambassadors help spread the word in the community about the Greater Chamber’s programs, initiatives and resources. He encourages his fellow Ambassadors to attend Council meetings and other events and activities as this is the key to building community.
A slogan he borrowed from a Facebook reel, “mind your community,” sums up Kelly’s philosophy about being part of the Greater Chamber. “I was sitting on my couch scrolling through Facebook one afternoon, and I saw this video featuring 30 folks who had never met each other in a large room, and bit by bit everyone found out they are connected. For example, a young mom finds out that the older gentleman in front of her raised his family in the house where she now raises hers. At the end, it said, ‘It takes absolutely no effort to mind your own business, but it does take effort to mind your community’.”
Kelly “minds his community” because he sees himself in the members he serves. “When we put on ceremonies for mom-and-pop businesses, I’m getting choked up just thinking about it. You sometimes hear the husband and wife talk about what they’ve gone through to get to this point. You can hear their voices crack and see their eyes swell. It completely verifies that the hour and a half I took out of my day to be a part of this special celebration was absolutely worth it.”
He went on to say that many of the business owners he’s met and volunteers he serves alongside have become personal friends. “We go to birthday parties for the kids; grab dinner every so often; or just catch up over coffee. They’ve become friends,” he said.
“If it hadn’t been for the chamber providing these meaningful opportunities for businesses, I wouldn’t have those friends and that tribe,” he said.