The board of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce on Thursday responded to a Denverite article in which former employees alleged abrasive behavior by the organization’s leader, including reported bullying and yelling.
In a statement released early in the evening, the board’s executive committee stressed that it supported President and CEO J.J. Ament, but had decided that an “independent, third-party review would be a constructive step.”
Denverite’s reporting found that half of the organization’s staff had departed since summer 2024 from a mix of quitting, layoffs and firings.
“The environment was hostile, and it felt like an abusive relationship. If you ignore people or shut them down over and over and over again, people’s confidence starts to wane,” said China Califf, who was director of the Small Business Development Center and left the Chamber, in an earlier interview.
Among the 25 current and former employees Denverite interviewed, 18 reported negative experiences at the Chamber, many related to Ament. The others were positive or neutral, while about a dozen more potential sources did not respond to interview requests.
A former human resources employee said: “A lot of the women came to me just saying (Ament) was very unprofessional, he yells, he diminishes you in front of people.”
Complaints had begun to seep outside the Chamber’s walls, with former Denver mayor Wellington Webb among the critics.
In contrast, Ament and his supporters have described high recent turnover as the temporary result of needed changes, such as a return-to-office mandate. They say that Ament has high expectations but is a supportive leader who drives results.
“Over the past several years, the Chamber has undergone meaningful organizational change and has made significant progress modernizing its human resources practices, policies, and internal processes,” board chair Mowa Haile wrote in a statement announcing the internal review. “The Board believes the organization has handled staff transitions professionally and appropriately, and it maintains full confidence in the Chamber’s leadership team and staff.”
One thing the review could reveal is exactly why people are leaving the organization. While Chamber leaders granted interviews and responded to questions, they did not disclose specific details about the spike in turnover — such as the number of people who had been laid off as opposed to quitting or being fired.
Haile and his predecessor as chair, Maureen Tarrant, strongly defended Ament’s record in earlier interviews and statements, with Haile saying that while “change can be challenging,” the executive was serving the business community and the Chamber itself well.
The Chamber has also pointed to improving financial returns in defense of its leadership.
The board says its review is not to ‘assign blame,’ but ‘identify opportunities’ for improvement.
The board cited “recent media coverage that included commentary from unnamed sources” in its decision to order the review. Denverite’s coverage included a mix of named and unnamed sources; when anonymity was granted, it was due to sources's concerns that speaking out could hurt their careers.
The review will “examine the Chamber’s policies, assess its processes and interview key stakeholders to measure performance against benchmark organizations in both the for- and non-profits sectors,” the organization said in a statement.
The board will name a third-party consultant in early 2026 and release a “summary of the topline findings” publicly.
Shortly before the announcement, The Denver Post’s editorial board called for the Chamber to replace Ament with a leader who “will support businesses and drive investment in the Chamber without driving off half of the staff,” citing Denverite’s reporting.
The board stressed that the goal of the independent review “is not to respond defensively or assign blame, but to provide objective insight, confirm alignment with best practices, and identify opportunities for continued improvement—for the benefit of the Chamber’s culture and the broader business community it serves.”
In the press release, Haile said: “Self-examination, reflection and action are hallmarks of successful organizations – crucial to the ability to attract, retain and nurture talented and dedicated team members. It’s also important to drive constant improvement, particularly during times of significant change.”
The Chamber’s board of directors includes dozens of influential figures from around the region. Members include high-ranking officials for Xcel Energy, the University of Colorado system, Denver International Airport, the Denver Broncos and more. The review was ordered by the board’s executive committee, a smaller body.
Several former Chamber employees said they had tried previously to alert board members to Ament’s alleged abrasive behavior and its effect on the work environment, but were often met with silence.
“The board is never going to hold them accountable — I don’t know why, I can’t understand it — if I'm a board member looking at what’s going on, I have huge concerns about turnover and culture, and it feels like there’s no accountability,” a former legislative affairs staffer said in an earlier interview.
Denverite’s reporting found concerns about the Chamber could be affecting relations with some state officials.
China Califf is the former director of the region’s Small Business Development Center, which had been part of the Chamber for nearly 40 years. She told Denverite it was her reports of a toxic workplace that prompted state officials to move the center recently to Red Rocks Community College.
State officials neither confirmed nor denied that allegation, and Chamber officials said they had never heard any concerns from the state, and that they worked in support of the change — though Ament acknowledged he had not wanted to make it.
Separately, the Chamber’s restructuring of its Leadership Foundation last year — including layoffs of three employees — also spurred backlash among participants in its renowned Leadership Denver program, as well as three members of the foundation’s 50-person board.
After the board made its announcement, some former employees weren’t sure what to expect.
“I’m cautiously optimistic, but I wonder who will they choose as the consultant?” said one former senior staffer who had raised concerns and was granted anonymity due to concerns about her professional prospects. “I think it’s key who they choose. It needs to be truly independent.”
It’s unclear how long, or how expensive, the review might be.
