District lawyer Earl Chico Horton III is used to big business deals, primarily in the real estate and energy sectors as well as interacting and negotiating with high-level and high-worth individuals and companies. Now, Horton, a partner with the law firm of Tiber Hudson, is hoping to apply those skills as the new chairman of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors.
Serving as chair-elect and general counsel during the past two years, he was installed as the chairman on Dec. 19 at the organization’s Annual Meeting and Chairman’s Inaugural Breakfast that was held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest before a crowd of 400 people that included District Mayor Muriel Bowser, former Mayor Anthony Williams and a few members of the D.C. Council.
“I am thrilled to be the new board chair,” said Horton, 53, who replaces Tonya Vidal Kinlow as the board chair.
He has become chairman of the organization as the District experiences population growth; continues to recover from the aftereffects of the coronavirus pandemic; and Mayor Muriel Bowser seeks to reinvigorate the downtown area that suffered during the pandemic, with new residents and businesses. Horton also takes the helm of the chamber, as the U.S. transitions into the new Trump administration and Republican-led U.S. Congress. His work will be to strengthen the chamber with more members and resources.
“I have a passion for business and believe in entrepreneurship. I want to help people make their mark and achieve the American Dream.”
Who is Horton?
Horton is a graduate of Morehouse College and the Howard University School of Law. He holds bar memberships in the District and Maryland and is a member of the American Bar Association and the predominantly Black National Bar Association.
He practices in the areas of finance, real estate and energy, according to Tiber Hudson’s website and is one of the first African Americans elected to the American College of Bond Counsel.
Horton represents banks and underwriters as counsel in public and private finance matters including tax-exempt and taxable transactions.
Clients of his include Citigroup Global Markets; Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley; UBS/PaineWebber, Inc; Merrill Lynch; Jeffries; and JP Morgan Chase. Horton has been involved in billions of dollars of financial transactions over his 20-year career, according to his law firm’s website.
Horton’s Plans for the Chamber
Horton said he wants the D.C. Chamber to become the predominant force in the city for advocacy on behalf of the business community.
“Retain, recruit and thrive,” he said. “I want to focus on a great business environment in the city. We need private investors in business to do that.”
Horton said the chamber has 1,100 members with businesses “in a wide range of sizes.”
“My goal is to grow membership by 10%,” he said. “We will also seek to have greater collaboration with the District government. Too many times, we are on the defensive when it comes to issues dealing with business. We are going to go on the offensive, we are the voice of business.”
The D.C. Chamber is in the process of searching for a new president and CEO, due to the departure of Angela Franco to the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce in August 2024. Horton said the qualities he seeks in a new CEO are to be a good fundraiser, be well organized and effectively play the role of “good cop, bad cop” organizationally.
Horton said small and minority businesses will be prioritized during his two-year term.
“We are planning to do a lot with small businesses,” he said.
Horton said he wants small businesses to be involved in the formulation and implementation of policy positions that will be presented to governmental bodies. He said also that the organization will work to help small businesses get more District government contracts.
Kinlow’s Parting Views
As Horton takes the reins of the organization’s board, Kinlow departs saying she did what she could to push entrepreneurship for neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River. Kinlow is a resident of Ward 8.
“I’m all about making an impact,” Kinlow told The Informer. “Whether it is for economic development or workforce development, I have been a champion for actively engaging small businesses. We have the Small Business Accelerator Program that gives resources to businesses that need them. We must be intentional on building an economy in Ward 8.”
