Gerald J. Roper

President and Chief Executive Officer, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce

Gerald Roper is President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, recently awarded a 5-Star accreditation – the highest possible – by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact on the region’s business climate. The award is given to only the top five percent of all Chambers in the country. The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce serves as the greater voice of the business community in the six-county Northeastern Illinois region.

Before joining the Chamber in 1993, Mr. Roper served as President and CEO of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. Mr. Roper was with the Convention and Tourism Bureau for nine years, where he was the head of marketing and sales for both the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau and McCormick Place. Prior to his work at the Bureau, Mr. Roper served as the Director of Operations of P&S Management Company, one of the largest Holiday Inn Franchise owners, and was also General Manager for the Holiday Inn O’Hare-Kennedy from 1983-1988.

Mr. Roper represents the voice of the Chicagoland business community on the Mayor’s Zoning Reform Commission, the Mayor’s Council of Technology Advisors, and the Chicago Workforce Board. Mr. Roper was also appointed by Mayor Daley to serve on the Chicago 2016 Transportation Advisory Council and the Mayor’s Taskforce on the Employment of People with Disabilities.

Mr. Roper actively participates in a number of civic and industry organizations, serving as Chairman of the President’s Advisory Council for Harold Washington College and Chairman of Gateway Green. He serves on the boards of the Chicago Sister Cities International Program, the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, the International Visitors Center of Chicago, and the Library of International Relations.

Mr. Roper has received numerous awards recognizing his service to the association, convention, and tourism industries, as well as the business community, including: Meeting Planners International, Chicago Chapter, 1997 Kathy Osterman Industry Award; the 1997 Harold Washington College Distinguished Business Leader Award; the 2000 Roosevelt University Lifetime Achievement Award; the 2003 Illinois Hotel and Lodging Associations Ambassador of Hospitality Award; a Master of Hospitality and Tourism Management Honoris Causa from Roosevelt University, Evelyn T. Stone University College in 2003; and the 2005 Good Citizen Award, from the Chicago Area Council, Boy Scouts of America and the Learning for Life Law Enforcement Luncheon Steering Committee.