FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2008
Contact Information:
William Jourdain
Dalton-Whitfield Chamber of Commerce
706-259-2586
Tim Chason
The Chason Group, Inc. 404-735-0540

Brian Anderson Selected To Serve As President of Dalton-Whitfield Chamber of Commerce

The Dalton-Whitfield Chamber of Commerce Executive Board unanimously approved Brian Anderson as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the 900 member organization today.  The vote was taken during a called meeting of the Board.  Anderson will begin his new position on October 1.

Anderson is a recognized face in the north Georgia area having served as the elected Chair of the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners since 2005.  His current term ends this year and he chose not to seek re-election.   Anderson currently is sales and marketing manager / organizational development director for Dalton Beverage Company.

“The top executive skills identified by our membership and community stakeholders include the ability to communicate effectively, economic development experience, and proven leadership,” according to William Jourdain, Chair of the Chamber and a partner with Minor, Bell & Neal.  “Brian has all of these abilities and more.  The Executive Board is extremely pleased with the recommendation of the Search Committee for this vital position in our community.”

 “The opportunity to wake up every day and do something I truly believe in is certainly exciting to me,” says Anderson.  “The Dalton-Whitfield Chamber is a membership organization that works with the business community to build a better quality of life.  Given our community’s strengths, we must take advantage of the opportunity to diversify our economic base and continue to provide services and support for existing businesses.”

Anderson was selected for the position out of twenty-seven candidates.  Each of the professionals submitting resumes was asked to complete a detailed application providing in-depth information about their philosophies on economic development, leadership and other select traits.

A nationwide search was conducted to identify candidates for the position. Applicants were generated from the executive search firm assisting the committee, the American Chamber of Commerce Executives Association, local contacts, and the Georgia Economic Developers Association.  The resumes came from Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.

“As the new President of the Chamber, Brian will represent our community in many ways,” according to John Bowling, CEO of Hamilton Health Care System, Inc., and Chair of the Search Committee.  ““His ability to lead, seek solutions, and take action played an important role in our decision.  The Dalton-Whitfield Chamber is the front door to our community and Brian will be the person opening that door on a regular basis.”

The inclusive process utilized by the Search Committee included an online survey of the Chamber’s membership and dozens of stakeholder interviews.  Based on their feedback, the committee developed a weighting scale to determine the skill sets needed by the Chamber President. 

“Economic development is a key part of the President’s role with the Chamber,” according to Jourdain.  “The Joint Development Authority, City of Dalton, and Whitfield County have been at the decision-making table with the Search Committee throughout this process.  I am extremely proud of the partnership that has emerged from our discussions and especially with our decision to choose Brian.”

Anderson attended college at Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina and then joined the Army as an intelligence officer.  He spent ten years with the Coca-Cola Company in a variety of leadership roles and joined Dalton Beverage in 2000.  The Anderson family is a member of Dalton United Methodist Church.

The Chamber’s focus is in three core areas.  Leadership development, community development and economic development are the building blocks for all chamber programs and initiatives.  The organization is recognized as the strongest voice of business in the region.

----------------

Other members of the Search Committee, in addition to Bowling and Jourdain, included Vance Bell, Shaw Industries; Tom Bundros, Dalton Utilities; Dan Combs, State Farm Insurance; Chuck Dobbins, Dalton-Whitfield Joint Development Authority; David Gregg, Alliance National Bank; Lynn Laughter, R. Lynette Laughter, L.L.C.; Dick Lowrey, Councilman, City of Dalton; and Randy Waskul, Commissioner, Whitfield County Board of Commissioners.

The Chason Group, based in Cartersville, Georgia, assisted the committee with the search.