Toledo Regional Chamber President/CEO cares about local businesses, staff
TOLEDO – Wendy Gramza grew up in Walbridge, the daughter of a father who worked for the railroad.
“You couldn’t get out of Walbridge without going over railroad tracks,” she recalled.
Gramza graduated from Lake High School in 1987 before moving on to the University of Toledo. She started working at the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce in 1987 while attending UToledo part-time. Gramza graduated with a degree in marketing.
She became president and CEO of the TRCC in 2014 and has held that position ever since.
“I started as an intern here,” Gramza said. “They didn’t call them interns at the time. I worked here during the day and went to school at night and took a couple leaves of absence to finish [school].”
Gramza served as an executive vice president and vice president of business development services at the Chamber before being named president and CEO. Before that, she was director of the Toledo Area Small Business Association.
“I am a certified Chamber executive, which is a program through the National Association,” Gramza said. “My peer review was based on leadership and knowledge of the industry. I received an award in 2006 and that was pretty cool.
“I got to be recognized in front of a couple thousand of my colleagues. That’s when you know you are in a position to lead and this industry is your career.”
Having such a prestigious position at the Chamber does have its perks.
On Sept. 25, 2024, Gramza signed a hot dog bun at the original Tony Packo’s restaurant on Consaul Street in East Toledo. The event was part of a celebration of Gramza’s invitation to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100 (CCC100).
Tony Packo’s has been a Toledo institution since 1932 and is famous for the hundreds of signed hot dog buns that cover the inside of its restaurants.
“That was pretty neat,” Gramza said. “I didn’t know it was happening. We were five minutes in, and I couldn’t figure out why I was there. There are about 7,000 Chambers in the country and they [CCC100] picked us. I’m not sure how I met their criteria.”
Gramza said her signed Tony Packo’s bun is “between two [Ohio] politicians, which I thought was appropriate because I represent the business community. It was an honor to be associated with such an iconic establishment.”
Gramza said the TRCC’s role is to represent the business community.
“Our job is to grow and help regional businesses be more successful to grow our economy,” she said. “It’s working out really well. We are one of the charter metro Chambers in the country, and we have a lot of services to help the member businesses grow.”
Asked to describe her outlook on future economic development in the Toledo area, she said, “My hope is we get on the same page and work together, and make sure this is a viable place for businesses and that we have a business friendly reputation.”
Gramza, 57, oversees 25 employees and said one of the best things about her job is the people she works with.
“I care about our members, business leaders, staff and people who care about the community,” she said. “We are always involved in cutting edge stuff. Every day – every hour – is different. People I have met from all over the country and being able to meet some really great people and see all points of view…sometimes you don’t really get a sense for how complex all these issues are.”
Gramza and her husband, Mark, have been married 33 years. They have a son, Nick, 31, and a daughter, Emily, 25, who is studying to be a nurse practitioner at Ohio State. Nick and his wife, Sarah, are expecting their first child.
The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce is located at 300 Madison Ave., Suite 200, Toledo, Ohio 43604. Phone 419-243-8191.
