New Chamber hires look to energize membership

The Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce recently announced three staff promotions and the addition of two new hires to its team.

Andy Johnston has been promoted to VP of Government and Corporate Affairs,  Mark Allen has been promoted to Senior Director of Membership Development, and Latricia Trice has been promoted to Senior Director of Marketing and Communications.

The two new hires will be focused on membership development. Tori Bennett's new role is membership development coordinator, and Desiree Reed's new position is  membership development representative.

Rick Baker, president and CEO of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, says the promotions and new hires are aligned with the Chamber's strategic plan. "We have been on a very deliberate path of implementing our strategic plan. We had a great year in 2012 and have a lot of new programming in 2013." Baker adds that the emphasis on membership development is about having a voice. "When we grow our membership, it only makes our voice stronger in Lansing and Washington."

Baker says one program of note in 2013 is the upcoming "Energize Your Business 2013," featuring several nationally known speakers such as Dick Vitale; John Jacob, co-founder of Life is Good; and Rebecca Ryan of Next Generation Consulting. "The whole event is about connecting businesses with information. Rebecca Ryan's talk is specifically about helping businesses attract and retain talent."

To learn more about the Energy Your Business Event, you can click here. To learn more about the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, you can click here.

Source: Rick Baker, Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce
Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor