It was encouraging to hear that he clearly understands the importance of institutions like Peirce in the workforce development that leads to regional job growth. His agenda has already led to his endorsement of more funding at the state level for colleges and universities in the Greater Philadelphia region.

The most intriguing aspect of our meeting, however, was a proposal Rob made to connect Peirce students (and possibly alumni) to the resources and networking capabilities that can be derived from Chamber membership. The Chamber, of course, could also potentially begin offering individual memberships and grow its base.
This is significant, as the concept could provide Peirce College, our students, and alumni with many advantages, including better opportunities for student career placement and advancement; and marketing of the College's programs to Chamber members.
We agreed to the next step of getting a team of Peirce and Chamber representatives together to explore the feasibility of implementing the concept as a pilot by this coming summer.
Rob also took a tour of our facilities, and was impressed with the creative architecture and state-of-the-art classrooms. Aware that we are hosting a Marketing Roundtable for the Chamber in March, he shared that he was thinking of additional usage of Peirce's facilities for Chamber programming. As an expression of appreciation for his interest in Peirce, I offered him the opportunity to use the space for internal staff meetings or retreats.
As we shook hands to end the visit, it was apparent that we've begun a new relationship with the Chamber and through Rob -- one that has significant potential to advance both of our organizations. I invited him to our Spring Reception on May 17 and he marked it on his calendar. I'm hopeful we will have another opportunity to meet and discuss collaboration, higher education, and the Philadelphia region in the near future.