FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2008
Contact Information:
Bryan Griffin
Polk County Chamber of Commerce
and Development Authority
770-684-8760
Tim Chason
The Chason Group, Inc.
404-735-0540

Polk County Chamber and Development Authority Initiate Search For Professional To Lead Organizations

Area business, government and community leaders are moving forward to identify the next professional to lead the Polk County Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority. An organizational meeting has already been held and a position description drafted for the president.

“The president of the chamber and development authority is an extremely important person in our community,” says Laron Maloney, 2008 chair of the chamber. “This professional is the first person many business prospects meet when they are considering expanding into our area. The president is also the first community leader existing businesses often call on when issues arise facing their prosperity or future in the area.”

Search committee members have been focusing their time over the past few weeks on the best approach to select the new leader as well as what skill sets will be required to move the community to a new level in economic and community development. Listening to the chamber’s membership, local elected officials and other community leaders is a key component of the search.

“Our goal is to involve the community as much as possible,” says Maloney. “The professional who leads the chamber must have positive experiences in dealing with people, building successful teams and a clear understanding of economic development. We want to make sure, as a chamber and development authority, the most qualified individual is selected to meet the future needs of the organizations and community.”

The first step in the process of listening to the community is an online survey that has been sent to the membership of the chamber. The survey focuses on identifying the skill sets required of the president as well as what the role of the chamber and development authority should be in the growth of Polk County. Another segment of the survey provides an opportunity for those participating to identify issues which have an impact on their success in business. All of the responses to the survey will be posted anonymously and shared with the search committee early next month.

Advertisements with professional organizations are also a key ingredient of the search process. The Georgia Economic Developers Association, Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, Southern Economic Developers Council, and American Chamber of Commerce Executives Association have websites dedicated to position postings for chamber and economic development professionals. The search committee has posted the position with these organizations.

“Our goal is to select a professional who has experience in the economic development field and a clear understanding of what businesses need to succeed,” according to Bryan Griffin, chair of the search committee. “While a timeline is important, finding the best person to move our community forward is the number one goal.”

Resumes for the president’s position will be accepted through March 19. Each candidate applying for the position will receive a community package about the chamber and the area. After all resumes have been received, each candidate will be required to complete a detailed application that will focus on their professional and personal attributes, philosophies on successful organizations, and their aspirations for the future.

A weighting scale will be established by the search committee to critique the applicants and their responses. The top candidates will be selected for interviews in April. The target date for the new president to begin the position is late May.

“Polk County has been successful in attracting new businesses to the area and building a solid infrastructure for economic development,” says Larry Dooley, chair of the development authority. “With this building block in place, we feel this is an opportune time to take the next step in building a stronger brand for Polk County and providing job opportunities for our citizens.”

Other members of the search committee include Reed Freeman, Lloyd Gray, and Bobby Haney.

Karolyn Hutcheson has served as president of the chamber and development authority for the past 17 years. She announced her retirement earlier this year. Through her leadership and guidance, Polk County has grown in population through job growth and infrastructure. Hutcheson plans to work with the chamber and development authority through the transition period with the new president.

The Chason Group, based in Cartersville, Georgia, is assisting the committee with the search. Tim Chason, president of the company, served for ten years as president of the Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce and ten years as chief operating officer of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. He has conducted successful executive level searches in several communities across the state including Cumming-Forsyth County, Jackson County, Thomaston-Upson County, and Cartersville-Bartow County.