Greenville Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Ben Haskew has announced he will retire from the chamber when the board completes the selection process for his successor.
Haskew has served as chamber president and CEO for nearly 12 years. He came to Greenville in December 2003 following a four-year stint as director of the Florida Chamber Federation, an initiative of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s been a real pleasure to work in this remarkable community with remarkable leadership,” Haskew said in a release. “I’ve been fortunate to work with a great staff and dedicated volunteers; I can’t imagine a better place to wrap up one’s career.”
David Lominack, market president for TD Bank and the chamber’s current chair-elect, will lead a national search for Haskew’s replacement, which is expected to take several months “as we develop a profile for the type of candidate we desire and canvas the country,” Lominack said. “We are optimistic about attracting a very strong candidate pool.”
“Ben was a focused leader who developed several successive strategic plans with emphasis on economic prosperity, advocacy, workforce development and diversity,” said chamber board chair Julie Brown, president of Godshall Staffing. “He will be hard to replace.”
Haskew will remain in the position until the chamber finds a successor.
He noted the creation of NEXT, the Accelerate economic development program, launch of the diversity initiative, the Upstate Chamber Coalition, renovation of the chamber’s headquarters facility and development of a wide array of programs and services for the small business community as some of the achievements for which he is most proud. The chamber also achieved Four-Star Accreditation by the U.S. Chamber in March of this year.
