Press Releases

Rachel Winder Joins Ohio Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors

November 5, 2021

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Benesch is pleased to announce that Rachel Winder has accepted an invitation to join the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors on behalf of Benesch.

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce is part of Ohio’s “Big 6” Business Associations (with Ohio Manufacturer’s Association, Ohio Retail Merchants, Ohio Business Roundtable, National Federation of Independent Businesses, and the Ohio Farm Bureau) that the Governor, Speaker of the House and President of Senate as well as many others, regularly consult with to help guide policies for Ohio that impact all Ohioans. The Ohio Chamber of Commerce is the state’s leading business advocate, resource, and aggressively champions free enterprise, economic competitiveness, and growth for the benefit of all Ohioans.

Rachel Winder has nearly 30 years’ experience working in and around Ohio local and state government. Rachel currently manages government relations for Benesch Law where she works tirelessly to help improve the regulatory environment for her clients, help position clients for successful government procurements and generally solve problems. Rachel is passionate about how public policy intersects with women’s economic growth. She served as the Public Policy Advisor for the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)– Columbus Chapter where she led the successful efforts to create the first Ohio Women-Owned Business Enterprise Certification program in the state and was named the NAWBO 2020 Women’s Business Champion.

During the pandemic she led a statewide advocacy effort to highlight for policymakers, how women were impacted by the economic shutdown. Those efforts resulted in the creation of the first-of-its-kind statewide advocacy organization focused on women’s economic growth called the Ohio Women’s Coalition (OWC), where Rachel currently serves as the founding Executive Director. With Rachel at the helm, the OWC initiated the creation of an historic $10 million women-owned business loan fund which passed as part of the state’s biennial budget in July of 2021.

“It is a true honor to be asked to join one of the most powerful boards in the state. I look forward to helping champion free enterprise, economic competitiveness and growth for the benefit of all Ohioans,’” Rachel said.