President & Chief Executive Officer

The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce advocates, convenes and engages to strengthen business in the greater Charlottesville Region which includes the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson. As we look to the future, we actively seek new faces and voices to work together towards the strongest, most vital business community possible.

https://www.cvillechamber.com/mission-vision-history/

Position:

The President & CEO is a dynamic, strategic and growth minded individual capable of big picture thinking with proven track record of success with a complex private or public sector entity, as well as a strong record of community involvement. A candidate for this position demonstrates expertise in strategic planning, member sales and services, program management, economic development, public policy, nonprofit governance and operations, finance and accounting, public speaking, and fundraising. Experience in serving a diverse regional marketplace, working with a Board of Directors, effectively engaging various stakeholders, verbally and in writing, are necessary skills for this position. The President & CEO must set a pace and create a vision to tackle existing challenges and create future opportunities.

Chamber Structure and Governance:

• Board of Directors
• Professional Staff – President reports to Board of Directors; all other staff report to President
• Round Tables / Committees / Councils – Volunteer groups within the Chamber who help provide service, value, and advocacy for Chamber members; composed of Chamber members with shared interests.

Professional Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Advanced degree in Business, Law, Public Administration, or related field preferred, or equivalent experience
• Minimum of 5 to 10 years as a successful executive leader in the public or private sector; economic development experience preferred.
• Board management and governance experience.

Competencies and Skills include:

Strategic and Leadership Vision

• Strategic vision with skills to fulfill mission and operational outcomes through Change Leadership principals.
• Growth minded philosophy; broad knowledge of entrepreneurship and innovation.
• Thinks strategically while considering new perspectives.
• A thirst for learning that informs strategic insights and vision.
• Exhibits self-awareness and authenticity – highly developed interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.
• Builds trust and positively influences actions.
• Operates with professionalism, honesty, confidentiality, and integrity.
• Creates a culture of innovation and energy.
• Develops performance goals/objectives and adapt as necessary.

Collaboration and Team Building

• Builds and leads a team effectively and with a Servant Leader mindset.
• Collaborates with Board, Staff, and Community Partners.
• Communicates with the Board in an open and timely manner.
• Fosters an environment of continual improvement in the organization, strategic planning, staff development, and personal growth.
• Creates process for personal and organizational accountability and communicates outcomes.
• Uses appropriate conflict resolution styles.

Community Relations and Advocacy

• Establishes alliances and collaborative arrangements with community groups, business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, economic development organizations, elected officials and the media to achieve the mission and goals of the Chamber.
• Communicate the work of the Chamber and identify needs in the community served by the Chamber.
• Successfully align diverse interest groups on issues and opportunities that will benefit the overall business community; able to negotiate complex agreements.
• Effectively advocates through strong public speaking and written skills, and through digital media.
• Connects with diverse base of business owners in the community.
• Supports growth in diversity of the local business community.
• Possesses social awareness and empathy.
• Working knowledge of relevant local, state, and federal regulations and laws, including political processes and environments.
• Supports regulatory and legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of the business community.
• Represents the Charlottesville area business community at the local, state, and national level.
• Able to navigate adversarial situations in a respectful way that preserves relationships.
• Serves as the voice of the business community on community issues impacting Chamber members.

Finance and Business Operations

• Demonstrates business acumen and knowledge of all aspects of effective business operations.
• Analyzes operational performance relative to goals/objectives and adapts as necessary.
• Approaches complex problems thoughtfully and breaks them down into manageable tasks to create action plans.
• Executes independently with strong oversight skills to maintain progress towards objectives.
• Uses critical thinking in decision-making; makes decisions based on analyzing data, considers long-term impact and self corrects ineffective solutions.
• Creates and manage a budget and ensure adequate funding to support operations, initiatives, and programs.
• Manages all daily operations and professional staff.

The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce is an equal opportunity employer. The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, veteran, or disability status.