Chattanooga Chamber head Ron Harr to hit the road for development ideas

chattanooga-chamber-head-to-hit-the-road-for

By Mike Pare July 24, 2012 4 min read

Ron Harr

INTERCITY VISITSThe Chattanooga Chamber oversaw visits to these cities over the years to learn what they have done:• Indianapolis (1983)• St. Louis (1988)• San Antonio, (1991)• Cleveland, (1998)• Huntsville, Ala. (2003)• Greenville, S.C. (2008)Source: ChamberWHAT’S NEXTFormer health care executive Ron Harr, incoming chief executive of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, will formally take the reins Oct. 1. Harr will replace CEO Tom Edd Wilson

Follow @SportsChatt

After only three weeks on the job, the incoming head of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce is ready to hit the road.

Ron Harr, a former BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee executive who joined the Chamber on July 1, says he wants to assemble business people for a recruiting trip to Germany in part to lure more suppliers to the city for the local Volkswagen plant.

Harr also is aiming to reactivate intercity visits by Chattanooga business and political leaders to other U.S. cities similar to what was done in the past to spur new development ideas. “We kind of need to hit the refresh button on economic development,” Harr said in an interview in his new Chamber office.

Harr said senior Chamber leadership, including new economic development Vice President Charles Wood, are planning an internal summit next month.