Christy Gillenwater, President and CEO of the Southwest Indiana Chamber, announced today that she is resigning from that position and has accepted an offer to be the next President and CEO of the Greater Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce.
In June 2017, Christy was named Chamber Executive of the Year at the annual conference of the Indiana Chamber Executives Association (ICEA). In 2015 Christy led the Southwest Indiana Chamber to be named Indiana Chamber of the Year by ICEA. She also led the Chamber to be named the 2016 National Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).
“In the more than four years that Christy has been at the helm, the Southwest Indiana Chamber has firmly established itself as one of the leading chambers in the Country. On behalf of our board of directors and our community, I would like to thank Christy for her collaborative spirit and commitment to helping community organizations drive economic development in our region,†noted Jim Sandgren, President & COO, Old National Bancorp and Southwest Indiana Chamber Board Chairman.
“My time here with the Southwest Indiana Chamber has been the greatest highlight and most fulfilling chapter of my career.  Together we have cast a vision of prosperity for our region.  Southwest Indiana should stand proud when looking at the past five years and in anticipation of the region’s great opportunities in coming years,†stated Gillenwater.
Gillenwater, a Cincinnati native, earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs from Indiana University and a Master of Business Administration from Ball State University.
Christy’s planned start date for her new role is December 1, 2017. Tim Hayden, Chief Communications and Engagement Officer for the Chamber, has been named interim President and CEO and will be working closely with Christy on transition in the coming weeks, until a national search can be completed and a permanent replacement is named.
About Southwest Indiana Chamber
Since 1915, the Southwest Indiana Chamber has been a trusted ally of the regional business community. Today we are one of the state’s largest, strongest, and most impactful nonprofit business organizations, representing a total membership of more than 1,800 businesses, organizations, and agencies. About one-third of members have invested in our organization for 10 or more years. While nearly all major employers in our region invest in the Southwest Indiana Chamber, 71% of our member businesses have 25 or fewer employees.
Learn more about the Chamber, our members, and the Southwest Indiana regional business community at www.swinchamber.com.
