Jim Winsett, the head of the Better Business Bureau serving Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia for the past 18 years, is retiring as president of the local BBB chapter.
Winsett, 77, said he will step down from the nonprofit group at the end of the month. Winsett retired from NCR Corp., after a 36-year career and has been president of the local BBB since 2003. During that period, requests for information on businesses have grown exponentially from 14,523 in 2003 to 978,628 last year.
Due to the increase, in 2016, a BBB branch office opened in Cleveland, Tennessee. The local chapter is supported by nearly 2,000 business members and seeks to promote ethics and marketplace trust through its ratings, advice and award programs.
The local BBB operates in 11 counties in Southeast Tennessee and 10 counties in Northwest Georgia.
“For the past 18 years, Jim and the Better Business Bureau of Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia have been the recognized leaders of promoting workplace ethics where buyers and sellers can trust each other when business is transacted,” said Mike Webb of Webb Financial Consultants, who is chairman of the local BBB. “Jim has been the flag bearer of honesty and integrity in our regional marketplace. With Jim’s retirement, he will be leaving an exceptional legacy that will challenge all of us to strive for high standards in our lives and businesses”.
During his tenure as head of the local BBB, Winsett helped develop the Annual BBB “Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics” awards which honor companies that strive to exhibit the highest level of honesty, integrity and service excellence. This competition is judged by a panel of community leaders.
Additonally, BBB’s “Student of Integrity” scholarship program partners with community businesses for the scholarships and has awarded $171,000 in the past 17 years. Additionally, for 15 years the local BBB has conducted an annual “Protect your ID Day” shred event which provides a free service to the community shredding personal documents to fight identity theft.
While continuing to live in Chattanooga, Winsett said he plans to volunteer and support other nonprofit organizations, and with wife, Kathryn, plans to travel.