FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2007
Contact Information:
Shane Short
Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce
706-387-0302
Tim Chason
The Chason Group, Inc.
404-735-0540

Gerry Nechvatal Named Vice President of Economic Development for Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce

Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce leaders have announced Gerry Nechvatal as the vice president of economic development for the organization. The newly created position will focus on marketing and retention of businesses as well as workforce development for Jackson County.

Since 2002, Nechvatal has served as regional director of CSX Transportation in Atlanta. He was directly responsible for all industrial development activities in Georgia including recruitment, project management, incentive formulation, site development, and marketing. Nechvatal routinely participated in confidential recruitment projects led by the Georgia Department of Economic Development including Kia Motors, Toyo Tire, and Del Monte Foods. He also functioned as a team leader on numerous new business placements such as The Middlesex Company, Columbia Farms, and Global Green Technologies.

“Gerry is an excellent choice for Jackson County,” according to Shane Short, president and chief executive officer of the chamber. “The chamber has made a commitment to move our community to a new level of involvement and recruitment in the economic development arena. Gerry is going to be an integral part of that movement. At the rate Jackson County has grown over the past ten years, it is important to have an experienced professional who is dedicated solely to marketing our community and working with existing businesses. The bottom line is to create and retain jobs that are value-added to the citizens of this area.”
The chamber’s board of directors has been strategically planning for a change in organizational structure since May of this year. The increased demand on the president’s time with economic development spurred the board to split the responsibilities into two posts.

“The business and government groups here in Jackson County have made it clear they want to be known as the leader in economic development in the southeast,” according Roy Stowe, vice president for marketing and member relations for Jackson EMC and chair of the chamber’s Economic Development Council. “Gerry’s knowledge of the economic development process and network of brokers and others in the business is extremely impressive. I am totally committed to making this a successful endeavor for Jackson County by working through the Economic Development Council of the chamber.”

Nechvatal has a strong background in transportation that blends well with the rail and highway corridors that dissect Jackson County. Prior to joining CSX in 1994, Nechvatal worked for Roadway Express in Atlanta and Overnite Transportation in Oakland, California. He is no stranger to economic development players in the region. His position with CSX kept him actively involved in Jackson County projects and others along the Interstate 85 corridor.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to work with the business and government entities in Jackson County,” says Nechvatal. “My economic development experience and contacts on the statewide level shortens the ramp-up time for establishing a strong alliance with economic development partners like brokers, the state of Georgia, and utilities. My family is extremely excited about living in the community.”
Business and government leaders ranked economic development as a high priority for the chamber in a survey completed during the summer months. The survey was a part of the overall process used in determining the key qualities desired in both the president and vice president of economic development.
“The president will focus on the big vision for the community and chamber,” says Jim Yarborough, 2007 chair and chief executive officer of BJC Medical Center. “The vice president of economic development will spend his time working with existing industries, workforce development and marketing to new businesses for the area. The governments of Jackson County, including the county, municipalities, development authority, water and sewer authority and local school boards, have been very supportive of the re-organization. By employing a professional like Gerry to lead the economic development initiatives, we have now completed our initial goal.”

Nechvatal’s first day at the chamber will be January 2. He and his wife Ann currently live in Canton, Georgia with their two children. Nechvatal holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Georgia with a major in marketing.

Other members of the professional staff rounding out the chamber team include Linda Foster, manager of member services, and Hilda Love, executive assistant.

Members of the search committee for the vice president of economic development included Stowe as chair; Short as president of the chamber; Yarborough as chamber chair; Hunter Bicknell, Jackson County Water and Sewer Authority; Jeff Blair, First Commerce Bank; John Drake, Patillo Construction Company; Mayor Pat Graham, Braselton; Mayor Buzzie Hardy, Commerce; Ronnie Hopkins, Jefferson City Board of Education; Mayor Jim Joiner, Jefferson; Scott Martin, Jackson EMC and Jackson County Development Authority; Dan Patillo, John Rooker and Associates; Kathy Wilbanks, Jackson County Board of Education; and Commissioner Bruce Yates, Jackson County Board of Commissioners.

The Chason Group, a consulting firm focusing on executive searches and strategic planning for chambers of commerce and economic development organizations, assisted the chamber in the search for both the president and vice president positions.

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The Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit, volunteer business organization that serves as the voice of the business community of the Jackson County area. The members of the Chamber of Commerce address a range of issues on a daily basis in an effort to enhance the quality of life and business opportunities available to the citizens of this region of Georgia. This is done in collaboration with government leaders from Jackson County, its nine municipalities, the State of Georgia and the federal government. Through economic development, education, governmental relations and the delivery of member services, the Chamber strives to accomplish its goal of developing leaders and building a community with a high quality of life and opportunities for the future.