Show-Me State Times

Kara Corches will serve as the interim president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the state’s largest business association. The Missouri Chamber Board of Directors Executive Committee made the announcement on July 15.

“I am excited to lead our state’s premier business organization and work hand-in-hand with our outstanding statewide members and staff,” Corches said. “I look forward to continuing the Missouri Chamber’s essential work – implementing our strategic plan, Missouri2030, to propel the state forward, protecting and promoting free enterprise, and providing resources for our members.”

Corches joined the Missouri Chamber in 2019. In addition to serving as interim president and CEO, she will continue her role as senior vice president of governmental affairs. In this position, Corches advocates for the business community on various issues, including workforce development, public safety, and infrastructure. She also leads voter education efforts through the Missouri Chamber Political Institute, which works to recruit and support political candidates who are pro-business and pro-jobs.

In 2021, Corches launched the Missouri Chamber Technology Alliance, an initiative to unite Missouri’s technology community behind a statewide strategy to maximize Missouri’s position as an emerging tech hub.

Before joining the Missouri Chamber, Corches was chief lobbyist for the California Optometric Association in Sacramento. She also worked in political affairs at the California Farm Bureau Federation. Prior to her entry into state-level politics and advocacy, Corches worked at the federal level in Washington, D.C., for the American Medical Association and a member of Congress.

Corches earned a master’s degree in public policy and administration from California State University, Sacramento. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Baylor University.

The Missouri Chamber Board of Directors Executive Committee will begin a search for the organization’s permanent president and CEO in the coming weeks.