The Greater Columbus, GA Chamber of Commerce announced the new Chamber President and CEO, Jerald Mitchell at a news conference today, Thursday, June 25, 2020 at the PowerHouse in Uptown Columbus.
Mitchell comes to the Columbus Chamber from Atlanta, where he’s the Vice President of Economic Development for the Atlanta Beltline Inc. (ABI) The Atlanta Beltline is a development corporation for one of the largest [$4.5 billion] redevelopment projects in the U.S.
“Jerald has a unique combination of leadership skills that will be immeasurably valuable to the Chamber and our entire region,” said Chamber Board Chair Pace Halter, President and COO of the Real Estate Division of the W.C. Bradley Co. “His strategic thinking and visionary outlook will allow Columbus to both build upon past achievements and take our region to amazing new heights.
Billy Blanchard, is the Chair of the CEO Search Committee that selected Mitchell. “The selection process included a group of local leaders who are involved in every aspect of our community. We started last September (2019) with a rigorous process to find the most qualified applicant that would be a good fit for our community. We were delayed by the year- end holiday season and the Covid-19 pandemic, but from the beginning, Jerald stood out as the leader we needed at the Chamber. His history and portfolio of outstanding work at the Beltline and beyond, successfully demonstrates his belief in the importance of community and economic development and we know it will be a good partnership for all.”
As President and CEO of the Greater Columbus, GA Chamber, Mitchell will be the leader in developing and advancing both the Chamber and Columbus 2025 (the region’s strategic plan). “
I was drawn to Columbus because the people that I’ve interacted with in Columbus were clear about the importance of building a more resilient economy and one that is more inclusive. I’m excited about expanding upon what this business community has started and about collaboratively bringing new ideas to the table.”
After completing some projects at the ABI, Mitchell will officially begin work on September 1, 2020. Halter noted to the crowd of about 100 community leaders, “This is an amazing occasion for our community. In partnership with our entire region and state, we are looking forward to the progress our community will make under Jerald’s leadership.”