MANSFIELD, OH – It was announced today during the monthly board meeting of the Richland Area Chamber of Commerce that long time chamber president Kevin Nestor will be leaving the Chamber.
In his comments to the board Nestor said: “I believe this is a good time for me to leave the Chamber. The Chamber is in a strong position. Chamber membership has reached record levels during the past three years and the chamber’s annual finances and its balance sheet are strong.
I have been blessed and honored to serve as the Richland Area Chamber of Commerce president these past 15 years. In this role I have had the chance to get to know, and to work with and work under, many people whom I greatly respect and admire. I have also had the chance to hire and work alongside a wonderful group of people here on the Chamber staff. Of the many things that have been accomplished during these 15 years, there is none I am more pleased with than the excellent group of people we have put together on our staff who have served our members so well. They will continue to be a great source of strength for the Chamber and its members.
I am also thankful that this opportunity brought our family here to Mansfield and Richland County. Making our home here has been a great blessing for us. This truly has been a great place for us to live and a wonderful community in which to raise our children.
Looking forward, my wife and I plan to remain in the area and there are new things I’ll be working toward on the horizon that I hope will be of benefit to our area and our nation. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had here and wish the Chamber board, staff and membership every success going forward.”
Chamber Board Chair Karl Milliron thanked Nestor for his many years of service to the Chamber.
“Kevin has been an instrumental part of the Chamber and our community for many years,” said Milliron. “I want to thank him for all he has done. As Kevin said, he is leaving with the Chamber in a strong position that we will be able to build on as we move forward. I am glad Kevin intends to stay in the community and am certain that he will continue to be an important contributor and part of our community in his future work.”
Milliron also announced that former Chamber board chair and recently departed North Central State College president Don Plotts has agreed to help oversee the Chamber’s operations on a part time basis during the interim while the board forms a search committee to select a new Chamber president.
Milliron stated that the board formed a search committee this morning to conduct a national search. The committee will be steered by Chamber Vice Chair John Brown of Richland Bank.
Milliron explained that the committee will look for “a dynamic, good communicator and collaborator who can work with independent and government agencies and engage with economic development.”
He also noted that the candidate did not necessarily need to be someone who has experience running a Chamber of Commerce.
Ideally, Milliron said the Chamber board would like to have the position filled in 60 days.
“It is important to name the right person for the job,” said Milliron.
“I want to reassure our members that they will continue to be well served during the interim. We have an excellent staff that will continue to serve them well and we are fortunate to have someone of Don Plotts’ stature to help ensure continuity until we are ready to name a new Chamber leader,” said Milliron.
Founded in 1899, the Richland Area Chamber of Commerce serves over 1,100 member businesses and organizations throughout Richland County and the north central Ohio area.
“The Chamber is in a strong position. Chamber membership has reached record levels during the past three years and the chamber’s annual finances and its balance sheet are strong,” stated Kevin Nestor.
