CHAMBER ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP ADJUSTMENTS
Mansfield, Ohio – The Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development and the Richland Community Development Group (RCDG) are announcing changes in leadership related to President & CEO Jodie Perry’s declaration to run for Mayor of the City of Mansfield.
Jodie Perry will stay in a leadership role but will assume the title of Chief Operating Officer (COO). Jay Goyal (President, Goyal Industries), currently serving as the Board Chair for the Chamber, will now also assume the role of Interim President for the Chamber. Beth DeLaney (Owner, Spherion Mid-Ohio), currently serving as the Board Chair for RCDG, will now also assume the role of Interim President for RCDG.
The Boards of the Richland Area Chamber & Richland Community Development Group unanimously voted to enact these changes at a special meeting to ensure that the organizations continue to have strong leadership, avoid potential conflicts of interest, and confirm Chamber or RCDG resources are not used to support a campaign for elected office.
“We spent many months discussing a plan for this scenario after Jodie alerted us to her interest in potentially running for elected office,” said Jay Goyal. “When creating this plan, we consulted with legal counsel as well as other community leaders. This will keep continuity in leadership through Jodie’s continued involvement but also ensure that any gaps in leadership will continue to be filled as well as providing a layer of separation where potential conflicts may arise.”
Beth DeLaney added, “The Chamber and RCDG have made many great strides in our community over the last eight years under Jodie’s leadership and we want to ensure that our members and the community know that we are committed to continuing that community leadership. Jay and I are happy to be able to step in as Interim Presidents.”
Jodie Perry has served as President & CEO of the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development since 2014. In that time, the organization finalized an affiliation with RCDG, added new events and programming, increased their budgets, and have been a leading voice for improvements throughout Richland County.
The Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development and RCDG are the leading business advocacy and economic development organizations in North Central Ohio. With nearly 1,000 members, the Chamber supports business growth and building a business-friendly climate in the Richland County area.