Chamber Names New President and CEO
February 9, 2011
CHARLESTON, SC – February 8, 2011 – The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce announced that Bryan Derreberry has been named President and CEO of the Chamber. Derreberry is currently President and CEO of the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce in Wichita, Kansas. He will assume the position inCharleston, April 2011.
As released in July, Charles H. Van Rysselberge, the President and CEOof the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce for over eight yearsannounced his plans to retire on March 31, 2011.
In making his announcement, Van Rysselberge said that this selectedretirement date will coincide with his ninth anniversary at theCharleston Metro Chamber, and his 40th anniversary of the beginning of a wonderful Chamber management career.
Derreberry was one of six finalists and the Charleston Metro Chamber’sExecutive Committee approved the Search Committee’s selection thisweek. Derreberry was contacted about the position by a national searchfirm retained by the Charleston Metro Chamber to conduct their candidate search.
“This search was a very thoughtful process. Charles has taken theChamber to new heights of success during his almost nine years at thehelm. Due in no small part to his leadership, the Chamber was recognized recently as one of the top three chambers in the United States,”explained Robert W. Pearce Jr., Charleston Metro Chamber Chairman of the Board “The search committee feels Bryan is the best choice to keep theCharleston Metro Chamber and the Charleston community on its currentpath of economic success and growth.”
Derreberry became the President and CEO of the Wichita Metro Chamber ofCommerce in October 2003. The Wichita Chamber is the largestmetropolitan business organization, in Kansas, representing nearly 1,500 businesses and 125,000 employees. Derreberry oversees a staff of 29 and an annual operating budget of $4.5 million.
One of Derreberry’s first assignments in Wichita was to successfullylead the private sector’s financial support of the new Greater WichitaEconomic Development Coalition (GWEDC). This inaugural economicdevelopment campaign raised a record $3.7 million which was utilized tofund the Chamber’s eight economic and workforce development staffmembers for a five-year term. This program is now in its secondfive-year funding installment.
“I strongly believe that Chambers of Commerce must lead theircommunity’s quality of place transformation efforts. Business, talent,and intelligence are all drawn to attractive and engaging communities,”shared Derreberry. “Charleston’s natural aesthetic beauty, incredibledowntown, strong South Carolina business setting, diverse businessclusters, and national brand identification make for a winning economicand community development environment.”
Nationally, Derreberry serves on the Board of Directors of the AmericanChamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) and has assisted this organization with its strategic planning efforts. He is a Notre Dame Graduate ofthe U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Management Program and wasin the Ford Foundation’s inaugural Sustainable Regional DevelopmentFellows program.
Derreberry is a magna cum laude graduate of Wittenberg University inSpringfield, Ohio, with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. Hehas completed graduate course work toward a combined MA/PhD in AmericanPolitics and International Relations from American University inWashington DC. He and his wife, Gail, are proud parents of threechildren.
