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Rob O’Brian is the President of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, where he has focused on economic and community development for 21 years. Rob is well respected statewide as a visionary and a leader with enormous economic development success. Rob is known to bring big results to small and medium-sized markets that are mixed with rural and urban geographies.

Prior to joining the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, Rob was the president of the Warsaw Area Chamber of Commerce, the vice president at Muncie Chamber of Commerce and a news director with WBST. He was also positioned as past-President of the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Missouri. Additionally, Rob O’Brian was a member of Governor Blunt’s State Government Reform Commission and was instrumental in writing the Enterprise Zone and Quality Jobs Act legislation.

His civic and business activities include President of the Joplin Business and Industrial Development Corporation and Vice-President of the Joplin Industrial Development Authority. He also serves on the regional Medical School Alliance and Connect2Culture boards. State-wide, Rob O’Brian is a current Board Member of the Hawthorne Foundation, the private-sector foundation supporting economic development. He is also a Board Member and Past-President of the Missouri Economic Development Council and a Board Member and Past-President of the Missouri Economic Development Financing Association.

Rob received his Bachelor of Science degree in telecommunications and journalism from Ball State University. Rob is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) through the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).