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Committee reviews Columbia Ambassador Program pilot to mobilize business advocates
Summary
City staff proposed a one-year, 10-person Columbia Ambassador Program to recruit business leaders as storytellers and referral sources; the committee was asked to nominate and approve an inaugural cohort using an objective rubric, with a one-day required orientation and no direct stipend.
Payton Lang, policy and programs advisor to the mayor, presented a proposal for a one-year Columbia Ambassador Program designed to recruit business leaders, creatives and higher-education representatives to promote Columbia and generate business leads.
Lang told the committee the pilot would start with a lean, 10-person inaugural class selected by nomination and committee approval using an objective scoring rubric. The program would focus on targeted sectors — international business, finance and legal development, healthcare, arts and culture, and a collegiate representative — to capture people who already travel to trade shows and conferences.
"The Columbia Ambassador Program is exactly that: a bridge between our city hall vision and the private sector's reach," Lang said, explaining the program’s three objectives are industry feedback, organic lead generation and story amplification.
Program logistics presented to the committee call for a one-day mandatory immersion to introduce ambassadors to the city’s comprehensive strategy, quarterly optional lunches for follow-up, and a low ongoing time commitment. Lang said ambassadors would not be compensated for participation but the city could send them to conferences or events as a program benefit and provide marketing materials.
Because some prospective ambassadors may already do business with the city, Lang said the pilot would include a blackout period during which participants would refrain from pursuing new city business or expanding scopes while in the program.
On timing, Lang asked the committee to finalize nominations this month with a council launch planned for April and the pilot’s first day of programming in late spring or May. Committee members asked staff to circulate nomination materials and a timeline email to keep the effort on schedule.
The committee did not take a final vote on the program during the meeting; Lang said staff would return with nominees, the scoring rubric already shared with members and next steps for launching the pilot.
