The Board of Directors of the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce and Cal MacKay, CEO of the Greater Peoria Business Alliance has announced the appointment of Jeffrey Griffin as Chamber President. Griffin will assume responsibilities beginning on February 10.
Griffin and his family will be moving to Peoria from Wooster, Ohio, where he most recently worked for Edward Jones. Before that, he served as President of the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce and served on the Wooster City Council. As Chamber President, Griffin was influential in recruiting and retaining thousands of new jobs and developing a quality workforce in Ohio, Wooster and Wayne County. 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.
Cal MacKay, CEO of the Greater Peoria Business Alliance says Griffin’s experience and leadership 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.”
Griffin 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.”
Griffin was selected through the national search process after the Board engaged Waverly Partners, LLC as its executive search firm. Mary Ardapple has been serving as Interim President since June. 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.
For more information and to schedule an interview, please contact Cal MacKay at (309) 253-9433.
The Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization of area businesses, delivering value to its members by cultivating a thriving business community, presenting the united voice of local business to government, offering continuously upgraded products and services for business enhancement and providing strategic business advisory services. Through the Chamber’s strategic plan, it is focused on being the leading voice for business in the region through political advocacy; inclusive and diverse in the approach to our work; an advocate to improve the quality of place in the region; and a source for strong leadership development. The Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce is sister organization to the CEO Council and both organizations share services through the Greater Peoria Business Alliance.
