In December, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce members, investors and staff will officially welcome Christy Gillenwater as the new President and CEO.
Gillenwater has been President and CEO of the Southwest Indiana Chamber of Commerce in Evansville, Indiana, since 2013. Prior to that, she served as President and CEO of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce in Bloomington, Indiana, from 2005 until 2013.
She has worked on the staffs of award-winning chambers since 1996. During her terms as president at both Evansville and Bloomington those chambers were each awarded the coveted national "Chamber of the Year" in their categories by the Association of Chambers of Commerce Executives (ACCE). Gillenwater's move to Chattanooga continues that tradition, as the Chattanooga Chamber won the same distinction in 2017.
In Evansville, Gillenwater significantly increased membership, led efforts in diversity and inclusion initiatives, and launched new efforts in workforce readiness and downtown development. She has been engaged in nearly $6 billion in economic development projects in Southwest Indiana. Gillenwater co-led Evansville's branding partnership, which built a new Chamber brand to align its value recognition and business community.
She has significant experience in public policy and chamber advocacy and worked closely with state and regional elected officials. She serves on the ACCE Board of Directors and is a member of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce "Committee of 100." She is a member of the Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy Advisory Council and the Indiana INTERNnet Board of Directors. She was selected nationally for the Education Attainment's Division Fellowship for Workforce Initiatives and was named the 2017 Indiana Chamber Executive of the Year.
"Our Board of Directors is very pleased with the selection of Christy, and we are confident she will guide our Chamber and our business community to the next levels of accomplishment in bringing Chattanooga, Hamilton County and this region to new leading roles in the Southeast," says Larry Buie, Chairman of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. "Our Chamber has made great strides in the areas of workforce readiness, Chattanooga 2.0, diversity, and economic and business growth. Building on these accomplishments while adding focus to new priorities will be a great task for our staff and our member leadership. We are so fortunate to have a leader with Christy's experience and background to lead us in this work," Buie says.
Christy earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs at Indiana University and her MBA from Ball State University.