Kara Corches has been named President and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the state’s largest and most powerful business association.
The Missouri Chamber Board of Directors Executive Committee made the announcement on Oct. 29 after a three-month national search.
Corches currently is the Interim President and CEO and Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs. She has led the organization’s successful advocacy efforts, like championing the passage of Fast Track and the Credential Training Program to enhance Missouri’s workforce. Corches spearheaded efforts to protect Missouri’s free enterprise system against governmental mandates. She has also led the business community’s robust political efforts via the Missouri Chamber Political Institute, which conducts polling and voter education in support of pro-business candidates.
Corches will be the Missouri Chamber’s first female president in the organization’s 101 years. She was chosen from an impressive pool of candidates from the business, political and trade association worlds. The Search Committee consisted of members from the Missouri Chamber’s Board of Directors.
“The Missouri Chamber’s focus is to be a strong voice for our state’s businesses. When businesses thrive, so does our state’s economy,” said Brad Thomas, president of the Silver Dollar City Company and chairman of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s board of directors. “A thriving economy impacts employment opportunity, wage growth and ultimately the health of communities and counties across our state. Kara has proven she can be a formidable voice that will fight for Missouri’s business community.”
Corches joined the Missouri Chamber in 2019 and has served in multiple roles. Before joining the Missouri Chamber, Corches was chief lobbyist for the California Optometric Association in Sacramento. She also worked in political affairs at the California Farm Bureau Federation. Prior to her entry into state-level politics and advocacy, Corches worked at the federal level in Washington, D.C., for the American Medical Association and a member of Congress.
“I am honored to have been selected to serve as President and CEO of an organization that has a track record of producing impactful results for the business community,” Corches noted. “I look forward to leaning into our work to boldly advocate for pro-business policies, maximize our impact in the political arena, and ultimately help position Missouri as an economic powerhouse. I am grateful to get this opportunity to work hand-in-hand with our outstanding board and members, as well as our best-in-the-business staff members.”
Corches earned a master’s degree in public policy and administration from California State University, Sacramento. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Baylor University. She and her husband, Gwen, have one child and reside in the Jefferson City area.
