The Sacramento Metro Chamber announced on April 2 that it has experienced one of its most successful starts to a year in recent history, exceeding new member goals for the first three months of 2026 and hosting record-breaking events.
The announcement highlights the Chamber’s growing influence as a convener, advocate, and champion for businesses in the Capital Region. The organization said that its momentum is positioning it as a leader in collaboration, policy, and regional progress.
Robert W. Heidt, Jr., President & CEO of the Sacramento Metro Chamber, marked his two-year anniversary leading the organization last month. “What has stood out most is the opportunity to work alongside the leaders, members, and partners who believe deeply in the promise of the Capital Region we call home,” Heidt said. He also noted team growth with new staff members and board directors bringing fresh perspectives.
This year began with significant achievements: surpassing membership goals for January through March; hosting its largest Annual Dinner & Business Awards with over a thousand attendees; and seeing its Cap-to-Cap advocacy program sell out again as hundreds prepare to travel to Washington, D.C. The Cap-to-Cap delegation will focus on four key priorities: Innovation Ecosystem; Government Efficiency and Effectiveness; Strategic Infrastructure and Regional Connectivity; and Workforce Readiness and Industry Competitiveness.
Heidt outlined additional initiatives underway in 2026. These include building relationships with elected officials during an election year while working closely with the Metro Chamber PAC on candidate endorsements. Leadership programs such as Leadership Sacramento have started with a new cohort of 41 regional leaders. The young professionals’ program Metro EDGE continues to grow ahead of its Emerge Summit scheduled for May 21.
The Sacramento Speakers Series has brought high-profile speakers including former Vice President Mike Pence, Anthony Ray Hinton, Celine Cousteau, and later this month Mayim Bialik. According to Heidt these conversations reinforce “the Chamber’s role as a convener for big ideas and regional dialogue.” Looking forward, he said efforts will continue toward advancing strategic priorities that strengthen economic competitiveness through advocacy trips like Cap-to-Cap in Washington D.C., developing study missions such as one planned for Detroit this September, expanding programming via Metro EDGE’s Emerge Summit in May, growing staff capacity across programs,
and convening business-government-community voices around major challenges facing the region.
Heidt concluded by emphasizing that “our region’s greatest strength isn’t a policy,
a project,
or a plan—it’s the people.”
