Brian Rice Selected as New Excelsior Springs Chamber President

Brian Rice has been selected as the President of the Excelsior Springs Chamber of Commerce (photo S Jason Cole).

Brian Rice, longtime publisher of the Excelsior Springs Standard and Richmond Daily Mail has turned in his press pass and has accepted the role of President of the Excelsior Springs Chamber of Commerce. After 32 years with the paper and 20 years as the publisher, Rice said it was time for a change. “I’m looking forward to being 100% Chamber. I’m looking forward to 100% one community. I’ve always felt like when I was in Richmond I should have been in Excelsior and when I was in Excelsior, I should have been in Richmond… now I can put 100% of my creative talents and 100% of my energies back into my hometown,” he said.

Brian got more involved with the Chamber when he became publisher of the Excelsior Springs Standard serving on numerous committees and the Chamber’s Board of Directors, serving as the board chairperson on several occasions. Brian said he loves serving on the Waterfest committee, helping to build a fun and positive family event for the community. “Putting that festival together is so fulfilling. I really enjoy the reward of seeing so many people come to Excelsior springs, enjoying what we have to offer here,” said Rice.

Brian’s immediate goals for the Chamber are to help organize the finances of the organization and to shift the focus of the Chamber back to serving the membership. “The Chamber has kind of been inward-focused over the last few years… I want to be that Chamber Director that’s out and about talking to the members, helping the members promote what they need to promote, helping them solve the problems that they need solved… my nature in everything I do is to solve problems,” he said.

These goals go hand-in-hand with the work that Brian did at the newspaper over the years and he said he’s looking forward to being the go-to guy for local business support. “I want to be that person that you see around town, you know me, you can come up to me and ask me a question and I’ll have the answer for you,” he said. The past few Chamber Directors/Presidents have been in the position for fairly short terms serving for only a few years before moving on. Rice said that if things go well, he plans on sticking with the Chamber for as long as he can. “Hopefully, I can be the face of the Chamber for the next 10-plus years,” he said.