Chamber names new president
- Details
- Published on Wednesday, 29 January 2014 13:35
- Written by Paul Gordon
An Ohio financial advisor with experience as a chamber of commerce leader has been named the new president of the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce.
Jeffrey Griffin, 43, will take the chamber reins on Feb. 10, the chamber said in a news release. He replaces Roberta Parks, who resigned to take over the Methodist Foundation, and Mary Ardapple, who has been serving as interim president since last June.
Griffin was president of the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce in Wooster, Ohio for four years until he resigned in late 2012 to work for Edward Jones.
Cal MacKay, CEO of the Greater Peoria Business Alliance, said Griffin's experience and leadership will make him a great fit for the organization. "His past experience as a successful chamber leader and commitment to community service will bring great vision to the Peoria area. His passion and work ethic along with his ability to collaborate with others will benefit businesses and foster economic growth in the Greater Peoria region," MacKay said.
As chamber president in Wooster, Griffin was influential in recruiting and retaining thousands of new jobs and developing a quality workforce in Ohio, Wooster and Wayne County, the news release said.
Griffin also served on the boards of the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Ohio and the Wayne Economic Development Council & Main Street Wooster; he also served on the City of Wooster's Finance, Public Utilities and Public Properties Committees while a member of the Wooster City Council.
Griffin said he is looking forward to his move to Peoria and building relationships with members, the business community, and community leaders. "Rosy and I are honored to join the Peoria Area Chamber along with our three children. We take this responsibility very seriously and look forward to many quality years in Peoria. The community is so strong now and we will work hard to grow our economy," he said.
Griffin was selected after a national search by Waverly Partners LLC, an executive search firm hired by the Peoria chamber. The chamber did not release how many candidates it interview for the position.
MacKay and the chamber board praised the work by Ardapple as interim president. "Ardapple stepped into the role as a small business owner; her experience and energy empowered staff to better understand the issues small businesses face. Ardapple's leadership was instrumental in launching tiered dues, obtaining member input on critical issues, and creating more opportunities for business leaders to connect with elected officials. Her efforts were successful in moving the mission of the Chamber forward during a period of transition," he chamber said.
Griffin received a bachelor's degree from Ohio State University and a master's in social work from the University of Texas at Arlington. His experience in social work includes the position of regional director for the Village Network in Wooster and as a social workers at Father Flanagan's Boys Home/Girls and Boys Town in Omaha, Neb.
Among his accomplishments as president of the Wooster chamber, he hosted Small Business Development training sessions that resulted in 485 new businesses started in Ohio, creating nearly 4,000 jobs.
