The Prince William Chamber of Commerce says it will scour the U.S. to find its new CEO.
Debbie Jones, whose led regional business advocacy group since 2014, will retire at the end of the year.
A search for her replacement will begin soon, she said. Current Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Chair Gayle Whitlock, of Whitlock Wealth, and immediate past Chair Kathie Johnson, of Sentara Northern Virignia Medical Center are co-chairing the transition committee.
According to Jones, the committee expects to have a new CEO in place by the fall to ensure a smooth transition.
Furthermore, the man that many thought would be a contender for the job, Ross Snare, the chamber’s chief operations officer hired in 2018, will be stepping down from the organization at the end of the month to become Associate Chief External Affairs Officer at UVA Health.
Snare is credited with transforming and pivoting the organization into an information hub for businesses during the coronavirus lockdowns, providing daily updates to members on current restrictions, regulations, loans, unemployment insurance and grant opportunities.
He advocated for the Micron & Amazon Incentive Packages during the 2019 General Assembly Session, which brought in over $5.5 Billion in economic investment and thousands of jobs to Northern Virginia, and pushed for a $200 million Route 28 Bypass near Manassas currently in development.
