Details given on hunt for new Fort Smith chamber chief
by January 23, 2009 2:03 pm 52 views
The volunteer leadership at the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce is “finalizing search parameters” in the hunt for a new chamber president, according to Roger Meek, chairman of the chamber’s board of directors.
Chamber President Tom Manskey, who tendered his resignation Dec. 18, is officially set to leave the post Jan. 30.
However, the chamber will review the six applications received for the job before considering the need for a larger, or nationwide, search, Meek told The City Wire.
Of the six applicants, Meek said two are from the Fort Smith area. The chamber’s executive committee (Meek, Coca-Cola Bottling of Fort Smith; Jim Patridge, BancorpSouth; Brian Hastings, Pernod-Ricard; and Larry Bates, Simmons First) will review the applications. Also, Meek has formed a committee of about seven “pillars of the community” to help the chamber “find out who is worthwhile from the six” applicants.
If this process does not result in hiring a new president, then the chamber will cast a larger net, Meek said.
Meek was reticent to establish a deadline by which the six applicants would be reviewed.
“I would like to be complete with that by the end of February, but, here again, with all of us involved in this, we have a lot of schedules to deal with,” Meek said.
Meek stressed that having Sandy Sanders serve as interim chamber president gives the chamber “a little breathing room so that we can find the right person.”
Meek said he has been “wonderfully surprised” at the level of interest in the community about the search for a new chamber president.
“It’s really nice,” Meek said of the interest. “I’ve talked to several who see the potential for moving forward … and having the community get someone in here who will really help move the chamber and all of us forward."