We had the good fortune of connecting with Deanna Kupcik and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Deanna, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I’m not sure if I call it risk taking, but I have operated on intuition. Just listening to my instincts takes me in a direction and I do not look back. If something fails, and it will, then I evaluate the situation and figure out if small changes can be made or if we just try something different. I can honestly say, this has worked for me for 35 years.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have the honor to run the chamber of commerce in my home town. I have moved many times but always have returned to Buckeye, AZ. No matter where I have lived, Buckeye has been my home and my heart. So I think what sets our chamber apart is “caring”. We want people to love our community as much as we do, and we treat all questions and issues with that caring respect. My knowledge comes from not only 35 years at the chamber, but the historical knowledge of growing up here.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Buckeye is a beautiful community of 650 square miles, surrounded by a few mountains, a few rivers, some farm land and lots of open space. I love taking visitors down Old US 80 through Arlington. The Sun Valley Parkway is another beautiful drive around the White Tank Mountains ending up in Surprise, AZ. Downtown Buckeye offers some great eclectic shops and some wonderful restaurants. And there are always events happening to fill everyone’s tastes.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
When I was beginning my career 35 years ago I looked for advice from my peers at the Arizona Chamber Executives. I was also fortunate to be able to attend the Institute for Organization Management through the US Chamber of Commerce which gave me great training and also generated a huge network of peers that I am still in contact with today.

Website: www.buckeyevalleychamber.org

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.