FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2007
Contact Information:
Gene Lee
Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce
770-382-1466
Tim Chason
The Chason Group, Inc.
404-735-0540

Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber Search Committee Reviewing Candidates For New President

Search committee members for the Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce are in the midst of narrowing their list of candidates to serve as the new president and chief executive officer of the 1,400 member organization.

Thirty-nine resumes were received for the position, according to Gene Lee, chair of the chamber this year. The candidates reside in 18 different states across the country. The majority of applicants are from Georgia. Twenty-six of the applicants have chamber of commerce or some type of related experience.
“The search committee is extremely pleased with the pool of candidates,” Lee said. “The experience level indicated on the resumes tells us that we have a very strong interest in our chamber and the community is a great place to live.”

Each individual submitting a resume received a detailed application as the next phase of the selection process. From the applications and information presented on the resumes, the candidate list will be narrowed to five for interviews. After the initial interviews have been completed, the search committee hopes to narrow the list to one or two candidates for second interviews.

“Our target has been to present a candidate to the board of directors in late February or early March,” according to Lee. “At this point, we are right on schedule for that to happen. The committee feels very good about the applicants we will be interviewing during the next few weeks.”

Candidates are required to hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or equivalent experience in a leadership position in business or non-profit organization. Also, applicants must have a minimum of five years experience in a leadership position at a chamber of commerce or a related field, with increasing responsibilities.

Several skill set requirements have also been developed by the search committee. Some include: ability to communicate with volunteers, general public, professional staff and news media; proven track record of building successful, lasting relationships as a leader; knowledge of economic and community development; clear understanding of how businesses operate and their needs for success; and experience as a leader of a professional staff.

The position for the president was posted on professional websites with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Executives Association, Georgia Economic Developers Association and the American Chamber of Commerce Executives Association. Personal contacts with potential candidates were also a significant part of the effort to solicit resumes.

In addition to Lee as chair, members of the search committee include: Paul Battles of Crescent of Bank, Commissioner Clarence Brown of Bartow County, Mayor Mike Fields of the City of Cartersville, Parnick Jennings of Parnick Jennings Funeral Home, Chris King of Media Graphics, Tracy Lewis of FasTrak Delivery and Warehousing, Bill McMullen of Georgia Power Company, Greg Patton of NorthSide Bank, and Randy Thompson of Thompson Auto Sales.

The new professional will replace Molly Grover who left at the end of December to accept a chamber president’s position in Iowa.

The Chason Group, Inc. of Cartersville is assisting the chamber in the search for a president.