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Posted: 06-Mar-23
Location: Tusaloosa, Alabama
Type: Full Time
Salary: Based on qualifications.
Categories:
Salary Details:
Required Education:
Overview.
The West Alabama Chamber of Commerce, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, has launched an executive search process for a President and Chief Executive Officer. Jim Page, CCE, IOM, AACE is relocating to the Huntsville area for a new position in the private sector. The Chason Group has been retained to assist with the search process. The Search Committee anticipates a start date for the new executive in April / May 2023.
About The Chamber.
The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama is a membership-based, business advocacy organization serving over 65,000 working men and women through more than 1,200-member business enterprises, civic organizations, and educational institutions. The organization traces its roots to June 1, 1900, with the founding of The Commercial Club.
More than 122 years later, the Chamber remains the largest and most prominent business organization in the area.
The mission of the Chamber is to “provide the leadership, vision and catalyst for the advancement of the economic prosperity, business climate, and quality of life for the entire community”. The Chamber is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and serves a nine-county region in the western part of the state. The Tuscaloosa community is home to Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc., a technologically advanced automotive assembly plant with more than 4,000 employees, as well as an extensive network of suppliers. Tuscaloosa is also home to the DCH Health System, a large, regional medical center, and the area benefits from variety of services provided by a robust nonprofit sector. Higher education plays a major role in the community, with The University of Alabama, Stillman College, and Shelton State Community College all located in Tuscaloosa.
The University of Alabama.
The University of Alabama is a thriving institution of higher education with more than 38,000 students and more than 10,000 employees. The University has been designated a top doctoral research institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and is a top public institution for the number of enrolled National Merit Scholars.
The University boasts the nation’s largest Greek system membership and proudly claims multiple national championship winning collegiate sports programs, including the Coach Nick Saban-led football team, through Crimson Tide athletics – all leading to significant, year- round tourism-related impact on the Tuscaloosa area. The University has a statewide annual economic impact of more than $2.77 billion.
The Chamber is Laser Focused.
The Chamber plays a leading role in convening public, private, and nonprofit sector partners to collaboratively address community challenges and advance the economic vitality of the region through a variety of strategic initiatives. The Chamber has a longstanding reputation for community visioning, for aggressively supporting the advancement of public education, and for providing premier leadership development programming within the community. The Chamber has also become an industry thought leader and programmatic innovator in workforce development through its unique role as fiscal and managing agent of the nationally recognized West AlabamaWorks! system. West AlabamaWorks! partners with the Chamber to manage the day-to-day operations and personnel needed to grow regional workforce offerings. This collaboration establishes a central connecting point for workforce needs in the region.
A key focus is to minimize duplication of services and maximize the potential of each service provider by communicating essential workforce needs in the entire nine- county region through both urban and rural outreach programs. As a result of this innovative partnership and the Chamber’s proactive efforts to support the business community during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama was named the 2021 Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.
The Chamber’s Governing Board.
The Chamber is governed by a 46-member Board of Directors, representing a diverse cross section of the area’s most prominent business, higher education, and community leaders. A staff of 18 talented professionals executes the strategic objectives of the organization, while managing a robust annual calendar of membership events, programs, and engagement initiatives.
The Chamber has an annual budget of more than $2.1 million, which does not include its significant financial management responsibility of West AlabamaWorks! and the West Alabama Chamber Foundation. The Chamber recently completed a comprehensive, five-year strategic planning process and subsequent five-year capital campaign, known as ALL IN.
The Role of the President and CEO. The President and CEO is responsible for all aspects of operations for the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama and reports directly to the Board of Directors through an annually elected Chair. The professional provides vision, strategic direction, and management for the programs and personnel of the organization. The leader demonstrates expertise in strategic planning, program and personnel management, member sales and services, resource development, nonprofit governance and operations, financial management, public relations, public policy and advocacy, and community, economic, and workforce development. The President and CEO serves as the lead spokesperson for all Chamber functions and strategic initiatives, representing the Chamber’s interests to the media, elected officials, and all community and organizational stakeholders. The professional is recognized as a dynamic leader with high integrity. Key skill sets required include the ability to manage and support current programs; develop new initiatives and collaborative partnerships; and to lead, engage, and commit to include the best diversity, equity, and inclusion practices for the region.
Position Requirements.
- Bachelor’s degree in the area(s) of association management, economic development, community development, public relations, public administration, business and/or marketing from an accredited college or university or equivalent experience.
- A Certificate in Nonprofit Organization Management through the U.S. Chamber’s Institute of Management (IOM) and the professional designation of Certified Chamber Executive (CCE) are highly preferred. In the absence of these professional credentials, a strong desire to achieve them at the earliest opportunity is the expectation of the Board of the chosen candidate.
- Ten years of executive-level leadership and personnel management experience with a chamber of commerce or nonprofit organization of similar scale and complexity, with demonstrated working knowledge of business, public policy, community development, economic development, workforce development, event planning, and program development.
- A proven tenure in implementing a visionary strategic plan in collaboration with a diverse and influential body of organizational stakeholders.
- An innovative, creative, and strategic thinker who has experience in developing relevant initiatives and goals to enhance a region’s tax base and a track record of proven results.