WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation announced Kathleen McArdle, President & CEO of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce was selected from a competitive national pool of applicants to participate in a Master Class for members of the Business Leads Fellowship Program network. The Business Leads Fellowship Program trains and equips business leaders from across the country with resources, experts, and a powerful network of peers needed to address the most pressing education and workforce challenges facing communities across America.

This Master Class is designed to equip business leaders with research, resources, and best practices to launch community-based child care solutions. The event kicks off with a two-day, in-person event on May 5-6, 2025, in Boise, ID, with virtual follow-up meetings. Throughout the Master Class, participants will meet with experts in the field, review case studies of successful community models, and build connections with other business leaders driving solutions to child care breakdown.

Kathleen was selected alongside 32 other state and local chamber executives, economic development professionals, and association leaders nationwide. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation aims to equip this group with the resources to successfully navigate community child care concerns. This group will build a community of practice among the participants, which will be a resource for their professional development in service to their respective communities.

“Inclusion in the selective Business Leads Fellowship Program network has been transformative to my development as a chamber of commerce executive,” says Kathleen McArdle. “This is a valuable opportunity to level up and investigate child care as a unique facet of the workforce pipeline. I’m looking forward to applying the resources toward community-led interventions for Anchorage.