The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce is moving full steam ahead to find the right person for the position of president/CEO.

The Chamber recently posted advertisements for the position in The Tribune and on its website, as well as on Craigslist.com, CareerBuilder.com, and SLOJobs.com. The Chamber has also asked for member input from its more than 2,500 individuals on its member mailing list.  

After more than 38 years, current President/CEO Dave Garth recently announced his retirement, effective July 1. Garth is one of the longest-standing chamber presidents in the western United States. The Board of Directors has formed a search committee of past board chairs still active in the Chamber to define the selection process, screen and interview all applicants, and present finalists to the board. The deadline to apply for the position is April 1. 

“We have some incredibly big shoes to fill and we’re taking it very seriously,” said Michael Gunther, this year’s chair of the board. “Dedicated volunteers have come together to proceed with a carefully planned strategy in place for the selection process. The hope is to present finalists to the board at the April board meeting.”

The position will be advertised nationally on March 5, when it will appear in the Career Opportunity Bulletin for the Western Association of Chamber Executives (W.A.C.E.). After the April 1 application deadline, the search committee will conduct preliminary screenings and selection of those to be interviewed, then carry out the interviews and select semi-finalists. The search committee will then conduct second interviews and background checks of the semi-finalists, ultimately choosing finalists to present to the Board of Directors on April 21. The chosen president/CEO will begin his or her employment on July 5.

Click here to see the job posting. Click here to provide input in a two-minute survey.