Chamber’s 'Hey Bay City' program reports steady job-board traffic, limited direct retention data
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Summary
The Bay Area Chamber’s Hey Bay City initiative reported steady engagement in 2025 — including about 61,000 job views and a year-end balance just over $23,000 — while leaders said direct evidence of long-term retention of students and out-of-market visitors is still limited.
Sarah Parker, director of workforce development for the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, told the Bay City Commission on Dec. 15 that the Hey Bay City program is a workforce tool designed to connect employers and job seekers and to strengthen the region’s talent pipeline. The initiative’s fourth-quarter finances, Parker said, show staffing as the largest expense; the program finished the year with a balance “a little over $23,000.”
Parker said the program focuses on one-on-one work with employers and job seekers — resume help, employer outreach and tailored placement — rather than broad advertising. “Awareness starts with stories and visibility,” she said, adding that in 2025 Hey Bay City recorded “over 61,000 job views” and that apply clicks and resumes received show active interest, not just impressions.
Annabelle Schweiger, marketing and communications manager for the Chamber, said the site drew about 188,000 total views in 2025 and more than 62,000 unique users, and that Hay Bay City’s storytelling and short video reels expanded the platform’s reach. Schweiger said the program’s top-performing content included a downtown tree-lighting video and features on local businesses and events, and that the program reached more than 2 million people and built an audience of roughly 18,000 followers during the year.
Commissioners pressed presenters for measurable retention results. Commissioner Coakley asked whether the program was producing hires from outside-city traffic such as Detroit and Indianapolis. Parker said place-making events — for example, “Cardinals at Hell’s Half Mile,” which brought 49 students (44 visiting Bay County for the first time) — produce visits and conversations but do not yet provide definitive retention numbers. “We have stories,” Parker said, “but nothing finite right now in numbers.”
Several commissioners asked about the planned transition of Hey Bay City branding and hosting; Parker said there is no immediate change and that “every single dollar that was invested to Hey Bay City will be spent within Bay City and Bay County” until a controlled transition is arranged. She said the team is planning a smooth handoff so content and job-board functionality remain available.
The presentation stressed partnerships with local institutions, including Saginaw Valley State University, Delta College, Michigan Works and the MEDC. Commission members welcomed the update and asked staff to provide any future success stories that track hires or retention tied to specific outreach efforts.
