LR Chamber hires Raymond Long as director of business retention and expansion

The Little Rock Regional Chamber has hired Raymond Omar Long as Director of Business Retention and Expansion.

In this position, Long will execute the existing industry support program, which is part of the chamber’s MetRock 2020 Economic Development strategy. He joins the chamber after most recently serving as the Director of Programs for the Urban League of the State of Arkansas.

“We’re excited to add a proven professional like Raymond to our chamber team,” said Jay Chesshir, President and CEO of the Little Rock Regional Chamber. “His diverse experience and local community connections will allow him to easily transition into this new role and help grow the positive impact our team can have on local businesses.”

The chamber conducts more than 100 visits annually to existing industry within the region. The goal of these visits is to identify direct assistance needs and acquire industry-wide trends that the chamber and its economic development partners can respond to. Each year, the majority of economic growth and new job creation comes from existing business growth.

“I’m excited to join the dynamic Little Rock Regional Chamber team,” said Long. “The mission of the chamber aligns with one of my purposes in life. I could not pass up the opportunity to play a role in helping enhance the earning opportunities and quality of life of every citizen in the Little Rock region.”

Long is a native Arkansan and military veteran with over 10 years of business operations experience in a variety of disciplines and industries. From 2016-2019, he served as the founding executive director of Better Start Foundation, a youth development non-profit focused on bringing a whole child approach to mentoring and developing 21st century youth leadership programs.