FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2006
Contact Information:
Steven Purvis
Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce
706-635-7400
Tim Chason
The Chason Group, Inc.
404-735-0540

Alan R. May Named President of
Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce

Alan R. May, a seasoned business executive, has been chosen to serve as president of the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce. The announcement was made today following a unanimous vote by the organization’s board of directors. He will begin work on October 2.

“Gilmer County is extremely fortunate to have someone of Alan’s caliber step up and take the new role of chamber president,” says Steven Purvis, the 2006 chair. “Alan brings a high level of honesty and commitment to the position. His business background will add value to the chamber and the community.”

May brings a wealth of experience to the chamber position. Most recently, he served as president of Gilmer County Bank and executive vice president of Appalachian Bancshares, Inc. in Ellijay. From 1991 through 1998, May was vice president of finance for Cooke and Andrews Investments, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia. His role included the development and management of multi-million dollar golf courses in the United States, Japan, Turkey and other countries. May has also held management positions with Galaxy Carpet Mills in Chatsworth, Georgia, Georgia Marble Company in Kennesaw, Georgia, Hydro-Vac Services, Inc. in Chattanooga, Tennessee and General Furniture Leasing in Doraville, Georgia.

May’s education includes a bachelor of business administration degree from North Georgia College in Dahlonega, Georgia; Executive Banking Institute in Austin, Texas; and Dale Carnegie, Marietta, Georgia. He has been involved in numerous Gilmer County civic and service organizations including the Georgia Mountain Hospice, Family Connection Commission, Gilmer County Rotary Foundation, the inaugural class of Leadership Gilmer in 2002, Gilmer Arts and Heritage Association, school council member of Mountain View Elementary School and a member of the Gilmer High School Drama Booster Club.

“Feedback from the membership and government leaders was one of the cornerstones of the search for a president,” according to Will Beattie, chair of the search committee and 2007 chair of the chamber. “Our goal was to make this an inclusive process. Alan will serve our membership and represent the community in many ways. The feedback we received through ‘stakeholder’ interviews was invaluable to our selection process.”

Based on a membership survey completed last month, communication skills were by far the key qualification indicated the new president must possess. Leadership was next in line as a top quality, followed by organization abilities and strategic visioning.

“There is no doubt in the chamber board’s mind that Alan has all of these talents and more to move the chamber to a higher level,” Beattie continued. “The quality of candidates was excellent. Our decision to choose Alan was based on three factors: interviews, his application for the position and the correlation of his skill sets to those desired by the membership for the position.”

May has already outlined his top three short-term goals for the first six months in the position. “I will first take the time to evaluate the overall operation of the chamber as it exists today and identify strengths and weakness,” he says. “Secondly, I will plan to visit and seek feedback from our members, governments and other community organizations. All of these groups are keys to the success of a chamber. With this input and evaluation, I will begin an inclusive process of defining the focus for the future of the chamber.”

The search for a chamber leader began in July of this year. The board voted to change the title of the position from executive director to president. At the same time, the board changed the top volunteer title from president to chair.

The search committee received 31 resumes for the position. Each candidate was asked to complete an extensive application to determine their skill sets and experience levels in economic and community development. Nineteen candidates completed the application. Based on the applications and a weighting scale developed by the committee, six candidates were chosen for interviews.

“Our search process had integrity built into the system from the starting point,” according to Purvis. “The goal was to find the best person for the chamber’s top position while asking for input from the community and the membership. I feel confident we have accomplished what we set out to do. The level of expertise in candidates was impressive. There were candidates from all across the country, with experience in running a business, who indicated strong interests in Gilmer County.”

Chamber and government leaders have been working together during the past several months to build a stronger partnership. Economic development is the central theme for the partnership. Chamber leaders view May’s position as one that will solidify the relationships between all local governments and the business community while at the same time provide state economic development officials with a single point of contact for new business prospects.

Members of the chamber’s search committee included Beattie; Purvis; Kyle Ray; Mark Holden; Paula Plumley; Melinda Hadden; and Jamie Tallent.

The chamber has nearly 500 members. A majority of the members are small businesses in the agricultural, professional and retail sectors.

The Chason Group, Inc., a consulting firm from Cartersville, Georgia, assisted the chamber in the search process.