FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2007
Contact Information:
Jim Yarborough
Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce
706-335-1102
Tim Chason
The Chason Group, Inc.
404-735-0540

Jackson County Area Chamber Moving Forward to Select New President and CEO

The leadership of the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce is moving forward to select the next president and chief executive officer of the organization. The executive committee of the business organization has chosen The Chason Group, Inc. to lead the executive search.

“Our chamber is moving to a new level of service and commitment to the business community based on a strong foundation built by many leaders in the past,” according to Jim Yarborough, 2007 chair of the chamber and chief executive officer of BJC Medical Center. “The membership is the most important ingredient in the search process. The search committee will be actively seeking input from the business and government sectors about the qualities desired of the new president, skills sets required and what key areas he or she should focus on during the first year in office.”

A position description will be developed for the president based on stakeholder interviews with key elected, appointed, community and business leaders and feedback from the membership. The members will have the opportunity to participate in a web based survey in early June.

Personal contacts with potential candidates will be a significant part of the effort to solicit resumes. In addition, advertisements for the position will be placed with state and national organizations.
Each candidate will receive a package of information about the community and the chamber.

A weighting scale for the candidates will be part of the selection process in determining how the person matches the needs of the community and position. The input from the survey and stakeholder interviews will determine the weighting of the skill sets for candidates. Another part of the selection process will be an extensive application that focuses on past experiences of the candidates and philosophies on issues ranging from economic development to government relations.

“Our goal is to make the selection process as inclusive as possible,” Yarborough added. “The president is often the first impression of our community to visitors and potential investors. It is important to have the right person in the seat.”

The search process is expected to take 90 to 120 days. The goal of the search committee is to have a professional on board October 1.

In addition to Yarborough, other members of the search committee include: Keith Ariail, McDonald Hardware; Pat Bell, Jackson County Board of Commissioners; Jeff Blair, Hamilton State Bank; David Bockman, consultant; Eddie Cartee, Huber Engineered Woods, LLC; Buzzie Hardy, City of Commerce; Keith Johnson, Randstad Work Solutions; Scott Martin, Jackson EMC; Sam McDuffie, First Georgia Banking Co.; Gina Misdarffer, J & K Utilities; Steve Schingler, Havertys; and Roy Stowe, Jackson EMC.

The chamber has a membership of 505 and is the economic development marketing arm for the community.
The Chason Group is based in Cartersville, Georgia. Prior to forming the company, Tim Chason 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.

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.