MANSFIELD – The Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development and the Richland Community Development Group (RCDG) announced Wednesday morning it has launched a search to find the next President and CEO to lead the organization.
The search was triggered by former President and CEO Jodie Perry’s successful election to be the next Mayor of Mansfield. She will serve as the Chief Operating Officer through the end of the year.
The search committee is being led by the incoming Chair of the Chamber Board, Kristine Lindeman (Vice President, Alumni Roofing), and the incoming Chair of the RCDG Board, Jake Penwell (President, Shelby CIC/Owner, Penwell Funeral Home).
“We are looking for a dynamic individual who has a strong strategic mindset, a collaborative nature, and a proven ability to lead organizations,” Lindeman said.
Penwell noted the important tasks that lie in the immediate future.
“The next few years are crucial for our community’s success,” Penwell said. “We want to make sure we have a great person who can continue to build on the strong partnerships we have.”
A full position listing will soon become available on the Chamber’s website, www.richlandareachamber.com.
Jay Goyal (President, Goyal Industries), the Board Chair and Interim President for the Chamber and Beth DeLaney (Owner, Spherion Mid-Ohio), the Board Chair and Interim President for RCDG will continue to serve in those roles during the transition period.
The Boards of the Richland Area Chamber & Richland Community Development Group are also announcing that Dr. Greg Timberlake, a local organizational consultant and former Dean at North Central State College, will serve as the Interim CEO during the transition period until a new leader is identified.
“We are so appreciative of Jodie’s many years of service to the Chamber,” Goyal said. “She has helped us build a strong foundation that will serve our organization and the community well into the future.
“We are excited to have Dr. Timberlake on board to help with the transition time so that we can make sure we find the best candidate possible.”
DeLaney expressed confidence in the Chamber’s staff, too.
“We have a fantastic team of professionals working at the Chamber and we have complete confidence that our members will not miss a beat during this transition period,” DeLaney said.
“We are excited for what the future holds for our whole community.”
Perry has led the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development since 2014.
In that time, the organization finalized an affiliation with RCDG, added new events and programming, increased their budgets, and has been a leading voice for improvements throughout Richland County.
The Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development and RCDG are the leading business advocacy and economic development organizations in North Central Ohio. With nearly 1,000 members, the Chamber supports business growth and building a business-friendly climate in the Richland County area.