Ashley Dunn has been named the new executive director of the Thomasville Chamber of Commerce after serving with the chamber for several years.
An Internal Promotion
Dunn has developed a strong connection to Thomasville’s business community over her tenure with the organization.
Promoting from within carries a practical advantage for a small-city chamber. An executive director hired from outside typically spends the first year learning who the members are, which businesses are active, and where the organization’s relationships already run. Someone who has worked with those members for several years begins the job past that stage.
Her Priorities
In her new position, Dunn will focus on supporting local businesses, building relationships throughout the community, and helping organize events that bring residents and businesses together.
Those three functions describe most of what a small-town chamber actually does. Member support ranges from referrals and promotion to helping a business navigate local permitting. Relationship building connects businesses to one another and to city government. And events — ribbon cuttings, festivals, mixers, seasonal promotions — are what put member businesses in front of residents who might otherwise shop elsewhere.
In Her Words
“This community means so much to me and I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve it in this role,” Dunn said.
Why a Chamber Matters in a City This Size
In a city the size of Thomasville, the chamber often functions as the de facto marketing arm for businesses that have no marketing budget of their own. A single-location retailer or service business cannot fund the kind of promotion a chamber event delivers, and cannot easily reach beyond its existing customers without one.
The chamber also serves as a point of contact for people considering opening a business locally, and as an organized voice for the business community in conversations with city government about issues from parking to downtown development.
Getting in Touch
Businesses interested in membership or in participating in upcoming chamber events can contact the Thomasville Chamber of Commerce directly.