Bill Kilbride plans to retire as the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s chief executive at the end of this year, and the business group will hold a national search for a new leader.
Kilbride joined the Chamber, which serves as Hamilton County’s chief economic development group, in 2014 after a long career at floor- covering giant Mohawk Industries.
He was president of Calhoun, Ga.-based Mohawk’s Home Division and its chief sustainability officer.
Kilbride, 66, succeeded former BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee executive Ron Harr as the Chamber’s chief.
Larry Buie, chairman of the Chamber’s board of directors, said Kilbride was a driving force in key areas such as regional economic development, workforce development and increasing membership value.
“Bill Kilbride has led us through the past three years to a place of excellence in terms of strategic leadership,” Buie said. “To top off his years of service, the Chattanooga Chamber recently won five awards from the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, including Chamber of the Year, for operational excellence. That’s a true testament to Bill’s leadership.”
Kilbride said he’s pleased he has accomplished many of the goals he set for his three-year term of service.
A survey earlier this year showed Chattanooga trails only red-hot Nashville in Tennessee in a ranking of the best cities nationwide for jobs.
Kilbride recently termed reports of a second Chattanooga-made Volkswagen SUV “an important move for a lot of reasons.”
“Anybody who doubts Volkswagen is in this for the long haul should take notice,” he said.
Gary Farlow, the Cleveland-Bradley Chamber of Commerce’s CEO, said he got to know Kilbride in connection with the Greater Chattanooga Economic Partnership (GCEP), an outgrowth of the Chattanooga business group’s Thrive 2055 regional planning effort. GCEP is the new regional economic development marketing brand.
“He has been really good to work with,” Farlow said. “The Chattanooga Chamber is a regional chamber in a lot ways.”
Buie said the Chamber board will convene a transition committee whose role will include executing a national search for the group’s next chief.
Kilbride had formerly served on the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority for many years.
He came from New York to Chattanooga about 26 years ago at the request of college friend John “Thunder” Thornton, a local business leader who had started up a company and was looking for a businessman he knew to join him.
“Here I came. What a ride,” said Kilbride in 2014.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.