Chamber Announces New Board & Diversity Statement

The McDowell County Chamber of Commerce welcomes new board members and presents new diversity statement for the organization.

At its first board meeting of 2022, the Mcdowell Chamber of Commerce recognized and celebrated the service and contributions of outgoing board chair Dawna Ledbetter to the organization. Dawna served a one-year term  as board chair and had previously served as treasurer and vice chair. She has dedicated at total of 7 years of service to the organization. 

"I am very proud to have served as Chair of the McDowell Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and look forward to my continued participation in this great organization." said Ledbetter. "I am grateful for having this opportunity to serve our members and to experience the extraordinary McDowell County community."

Stacy Buff, dean of community education and workforce development for McDowell Technical Community College will move from vice chair to chair going into 2022. One of the first orders of business. under his leadership, the board welcomed new board members and presented the organization's new inclusion and diversity statement:

New Board Members

Joining the board this year and representing community interests include, Adrienne Jones, deputy director of the McDowell County Emergency Management System, Margarita Ramirez, the executive director of Centro Unido Lantino Americano, and Nic Gritta, who comes to the chamber with an advanced accounting degree and experience in community development. Also joining the board is Jason McDougald who brings strong representation for the outdoor industry. 

"I am delighted to welcome Adrienne Rivera-Jones and Jason McDougald to our board this year; both uphold our core values and have made great impact within the community.  Nic Gritta and Margarita Ramiriez likewise bring great community representation to the Chamber," said Executive Director Kim Effler. "Adrienne has worked tirelessly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to keep our residents safe and our community leadership informed.  Jason has been instrumental in the creation of the G5 trail collective, a project that will change the trail landscape for all of McDowell County.  We are proud to have them at our table."

With the recent and potential growth of the outdoor industry here in McDowell the board voted to add a member representative from that industry. Jason McDougald, longtime outdoor industry professional and community advocate, will be bringing his knowledge and expertise to the board efforts.

Jason has been involved in the outdoor industry for almost 40 years and currently serves as camp director at Camp Grier in Old Fort. Jason has been impactful throughout his career in the advancement of public spaces and is part of the team leading the charge to facilitate the Fonta Flora Trail program.
 

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ABOUT THE CHAMBER: Our mission is to provide businesses with the resources, services, and advocacy for economic growth through active, inclusive engagement. Our Vision grew from this mission and helps us identify important projects on which to focus in order to grow our business community and create value for our members. We are committed to accomplishing our mission in a spirit of collaboration and a tenacious drive for innovative solutions