FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2008
Contact Information:
Melinda Hadden
Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce
706-515-2121
Tim Chason
The Chason Group, Inc.
404-735-0540

Alan May Resigns From Gilmer Chamber; Leadership Establishes Search Process

After serving nearly two years as president of the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce, Alan May has resigned to return to a position in the banking industry. His resignation has been accepted by the organization’s board of directors. May will continue to provide services to the chamber on an as-needed-basis until a new president has been selected.

“Alan’s time with the chamber has accomplished just what the board had hoped for,” according to Melinda Hadden, 2008 chair of the chamber and owner of Century 21 in the Mountains. “His professionalism, business savvy and relationship skills have moved our community and chamber to a new level of service to the businesses located here. The board and membership are extremely proud of Alan and his accomplishments.”

May joined the chamber in October of 2006. He has spent the majority of his time focusing on building value-added programs for the chamber as well as working with the elected and appointed leaders of the community to lay the ground work for a stronger infrastructure base.

“I have been blessed in many ways to serve in this position and represent Gilmer County’s growing business community,” says May. “The support I have received, from the officers to the board to the membership, has been greater than I could have ever expected. The successes of the chamber over the past few years are because of the team approach we have developed. The chamber is a vital piece of our county’s success in economic development for both existing and new businesses. I plan to remain extremely active in the organization.”

Hadden and the board of directors moved quickly to appoint a search committee to begin the process of selecting a new president. Members of the committee in addition to Hadden will include: Will Beattie, ETC; Greg Burrell, Gilmer County School System; Scott Evans, Bank of Ellijay; Ellen Grant, Overland Trails Log Homes; Max Holstein, Overland Trails Realty; Ron Ingram, Georgia Power; Sidney Mahan, John Mahan Attorney; Paula Plumley, United Community; Gary Rogers, Genesis Behavioral Health Care Services; and Kent Sanford, New Horizons Bank.

“The Gilmer County Chamber has a strong foundation in this area due to leaders like Alan and volunteers who have stepped up to the plate and said, ‘I want to be a part of a winning team’,” says Hadden. “Our decision regarding a new leader for the organization was a very inclusive process last time. Input from the membership, as well as that of other community stakeholders, played an important role in the skill sets we will look for in candidates. The search committee will be utilizing some of that same information to select our next president.”

The early responsibilities of the search committee will be two-fold. “First, the committee must agree on the experience and character traits that are important to the position,” Hadden says. “From there, we will identify candidates who possess those skill sets and begin the interview process.”

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 be handled in a confidential and professional manner,” says Hadden. “This search process will be just as much Gilmer County selling our attributes to the candidates as it will be the candidates convincing the committee they are the right person for the position.”

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. The application will assist the committee in narrowing the field of candidates.

Finding the right person for the chamber is more important than a timeline, Hadden says. “The search process is expected to take 90 to 120 days. However, the timeline is not what will drive the committee. Identifying the right person to lead the organization is the driving factor.”

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 Cartersville-Bartow County, Cumming-Forsyth County, Jackson County, Thomaston-Upson County, and Tifton-Tift County. Chason assisted the 2006 Gilmer County Chamber search committee in their process to select a new president.