Henderson Chamber aiming to hire new leader

By Conor Shine

Tuesday, July 19, 2011 | 6:21 p.m.

The search is under way for a new executive director for the Henderson Chamber of Commerce.

The group has been taking applications since the June 30 retirement of longtime president and CEO Alice Martz.

The board will start interviewing candidates within the next week and plans to make the hire by the end of August, Chairman Rick Smith said.

The executive director oversees a staff of six and numerous volunteers and works closely with local businesses and elected officials.

The board is looking for someone with a “high sales IQ” who can help attract new members and improve services that support local businesses, he said.

“We want someone who understands what it takes to market to the business community,” he said. “Membership to the chamber is an intangible product so you have to understand how to communicate what it offers.”

Smith said he hopes a Southern Nevadan familiar with its businesses and political structures will emerge as the best person for the job, but the chamber is also interviewing out-of-town candidates.

“We think someone who has been within our community for a number of years and has an understanding of the forces within it will probably step forward,” he said. “But we’re going to hire the person we believe will do the best job no matter where he or she might come from.”

The chamber will stop accepting applications for the position Aug. 15. For more information on how to apply, call the Henderson Chamber of Commerce at 565-8951.