Family man. Entrepreneur. Drummer. Education reformer. Cyclist. In case that doesn’t keep Deibel busy enough, you can now add chairman of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce board of directors to the list.
For Deibel, sitting on the sidelines simply isn’t an option.
“I’ve always thought, if not me, then who else?” Deibel said. “I’d rather be actively engaged with a voice at the table.”
A Colorado native with fierce state pride, Deibel is a self-described cheerleader for Colorado. He exudes the Colorado spirit daily as an outdoorsman and businessman—serving as president and owner of OfficeScapes. Productive, hardworking, solutions-oriented and healthy, Deibel embodies the values of Colorado.
With a team-oriented leadership style, unmatched commitment and unceasing curiosity, Deibel is ready to helm the Chamber board of directors.
“I’m very deliberate about looking to learn from other leaders, which is where I have derived the philosophy of sitting up front, strapping in, raising my hand and being engaged,” he says. And his approach to board leadership aligns with that mantra.
As board chair, Deibel is committed to bringing his A-game. Being surrounded by other top business leaders who have inspired him makes Deibel, “very cognizant of coming (to the Chamber) with the very best I have to offer.”
RELATED: 25 THINGS YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT BOB
Committed and Engaged
Deibel was introduced to the Chamber in the 1980s while at Xerox. It was later though, when he became engaged in the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (Metro Denver EDC) (eventually chairing its executive committee) that Deibel became more actively involved in the Chamber. He has also co-chaired the Metro Denver Aviation Coalition (an affiliate of the Metro Denver EDC) and was a key player in bringing the nonstop Tokyo flight to Denver.
“If you do anything at the Chamber of Commerce, then you know Bob Deibel,” said Chamber President and CEO Kelly Brough.
Deibel isn’t one to just dip a toe; he dives in.
“You miss a meeting, you miss a lot,” he says.
Members shouldn’t be surprised to see Deibel outside the board room, at everything from committee meetings to Net90s and Gold Programs.
And it’s the “education, analysis and policy focus” in which he’s found the most value with the Chamber.
“I have continued to count on (the Chamber) more and more heavily for information and education in order to be responsibly informed on issues that affect the business community,” he said. “It has become a primary source of information so that I can feel like I have a responsible fact base with which to form opinions.”
Leaders, Take Note
As Deibel takes on his new role as chair of the board, he brings a contemplative approach.
“I’ve always focused on listening first and really trying to leverage the engagement of my team,” Deibel said.
When asked about Deibel’s leadership style, former board chair John Beeble, chairman and CEO of Saunders Construction, says he thinks “of a person who is great communicator. He listens very carefully and has the ability to take that all in and communicate it back out and articulate it in a way that inspires the people around him.”
But don’t let that quiet and reflective manner fool you. He knows how to have a good time, too. For starters, he’s the drummer in the all CEO rock ‘n roll band The Moderators. He also regularly starts meetings with his very own walk-up song. (It’s no coincidence that as someone always willing to step up, his song is Ready to Go).
Described as competitive, reflective, dedicated and just plain cool, perhaps what stands out most about Deibel is his balanced and well-rounded nature.
He’s played the stage at Red Rocks, he manages a successful company that employs nearly 600 people and finds time to engage on key issues, like education, that are shaping our region.
“Education policy was my first meaningful dive into public policy, viewed through the lens that it is such an important component of our economic development efforts as a state,” he said.
He’s chaired the board of Colorado Succeeds (a business coalition focused on increasing college and workforce readiness of students through education reform), co-chaired the Colorado School Finance Partnership (focused on modernizing the state’s school finance act) and co-chaired the Citizen Advisory Committee for the latest bond issue for Denver Public Schools.
“Bob is a model of what it means to give yourself to something, whether it’s a cause or an organization like the Chamber,” Brough said. “He really is a role model for members and staff here at the Chamber.”
He’s done it all through good, old-fashioned hard work and a bit of competitive spirit. Deibel brings to the Chamber the perspectives of both a large company employee from his early career as well as that of an entrepreneur who rolled up his sleeves and learned to do more with less.
“Bob uses a motivation leadership style … and it is that skill set that will help him drive results for the Chamber,” says business partner Jim Perry, CEO of Jupiter Consolidated Group.
Deibel understands the mechanics, challenges and rewards of owning a company and also has a strong grasp on the importance of policy and its impact on a healthy business climate.
“The business community (has to be) an active participant in those policy issues due to the dramatic impact they can have on the business community here,” he said.
Looking Forward to Results
Under Deibel’s leadership as board chair, the Chamber will begin to undertake work on five critical issues identified by Chamber members. Those issues—water, transportation along Interstate 70, education reform, energy and engaging independent voters—impact how we work and our communities. The Chamber is an important voice in these areas, Deibel said.
“The amplitude of the Chamber’s voice, as the voice of the business community, has continued to grow,” he said.
And, he’s focused on getting the ball rolling on these issues, which the Chamber hopes to address in the next five years.
“It’s about results,” he said.
There’s much work to be done, but Deibel is up to the task.
“These five issues are deeply complex and demand the best collective, inclusive thought of the entire business community, because we have a lot at stake,” Deibel said. “We owe it to the future of Colorado to continue to attack these issues with urgency right now.”
Laura Giocomo is communications and marketing director for the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.