The search for a new president of the Chamber of Commerce continues
Margarita M. Phillips
2 min read
Earlier this year, Mita Bates announced her intention to retire on December 31. Bates is President of the Ardmore Chamber of Commerce, President and CEO of the Ardmore Development Authority, President of the Ardmore Tourism Authority and President of the Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
A combined meeting of the chamber, ADA and ATA boards took place earlier this spring to discuss the right way to move forward to find Bates’ replacement. Ultimately, a nine-member search committee – three from the ADA, four from the chamber, and two from the ATA, met to help with the process.
The search committee also hired Schnake Turnbo Frank, a consulting firm specializing in public relations and leadership development, to help find the right candidate.
Nancy Sjulin, member of the search committee and chair of the ADA board of directors, said the company was instrumental in developing the job description for potential candidates and will continue to help throughout the hiring process.
“The way we have described the tasks around the chamber is that Mita is president and CEO of the three divisions as well as the chamber foundation,†said Sjulin. “She’s absolutely phenomenal, and therefore incredibly difficult to replace. She puts us in a great position for an amazing future, and we need someone to keep that momentum going.
With the help of Schnake Turnbo Frank, the search committee is able to conduct a nationwide search to find the right replacement – and that could mean hiring two new candidates. At present, there are more than 20 applicants.
“The next step in the interview process will take place in August,†Sjulin said. “Our transition group will meet at the convention center to review all the candidates who have applied, and from there we will have the best for personal interviews in early September. Once we have completed this process, we will know if we have found that one candidate is perfect to fill Mita’s position or if it is better to have two people.
Sjulin said the goal is for the person (s) hired to be in place by October 15.
“We want them to be able to spend time working with Mita,†Sjulin said. “With all the holidays coming up in November and December, we want to make sure they have the opportunity to meet all the people they need to meet and visit all the appropriate facilities. There are a lot of industries here in Ardmore, and there are all of Mita’s contacts in Oklahoma City and within the Chickasaw Nation that they will need to get to know. We want to make sure that the person we hire has all the information they need to take us to the next level in the future.
