A businessman on a mission - US Chamber of Commerce Chairman Edwin Lupberger

Nation's Business, May, 1996 by Albert G. Holzinger

At first, the decision to expend corporate resources in the public-education effort was controversial, he notes: "There was some real debate internally about whether this was money down a rat hole, but I felt that if our area was to grow and prosper so we would have citizens who could afford our bills, education simply had to be upgraded. We are tilling soil and planting seeds for future company growth."

Internally, Lupberger has overseen creation of extensive education programs to support professional growth among employees. The centerpiece of the effort is a $7 million employee-training facility in Jackson, Miss., called the "Power House." Opened last year, it has classrooms, an auditorium, a computer center, and a library.

As chairman of the U.S. Chamber, Lupberger says he is "placing great stress" on encouraging the business community to be active in nationwide efforts to reform the U.S. education system and to prepare future generations of American workers for the challenges presented by global competition and rapid changes in technology.

"We read much in the media these days about the declining purchasing power of workers' wages," Lupberger says, "and the Clinton administration is trying to use this coverage as a lever to promote the influence of labor unions." He says he and the Chamber will be active in rebutting this initiative.

"The only valid response [to eroding living standards] is to improve productivity through better education and training of workers," Lupberger says. As Chamber chairman, Lupberger also is working to mobilize the organization's members in support of congressional efforts to balance the federal budget. "The continuing struggle for a balanced budget is the pivotal issue of our time," he says. "If you want low interest rates and more economic growth, a balanced federal budget is the key."

He also is working with the Chamber's staff in Washington, D.C., to support regulatory-reform efforts on Capitol Hill. "I think the country is in a state of regulatory emergency," says Lupberger. "We're in a global economy up to our necks--if not our eyeballs--so we can't continue to be this overly regulated and still be competitive."

In all, Lupberger exudes enthusiasm about his Chamber work during 1996: "Politics is an avocation with me, so I'm very, very comfortable and really excited."