Jefferson County Chamber – Helton at the Helm
The new CEO of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce is a familiar face in Jefferson County government. Darrell Helton took the helm of the Chamber on January 2, 2015, after nearly four years in service as the Finance Director of Jefferson County. When ask what motivated him to make the move, Helton said that while he did not initially consider the position when former Director Cason vacated it last summer, after prompting from friends, he started to give some serious consideration to making the move. His resume includes several years at the helm of Kingswood and as the Mayor of Jefferson City, both jobs that require heavy public relations skills.
Though his former position at the Finance Office was certainly high impact, Helton is aware that his new career path comes with challenges of its own. Transparency issues, a topic that the new Director has touched on with the County Commission, have plagued both the Chamber and EDOC. A law suit is pending regarding the issue and Helton says that he hopes for a quick resolution. Building a strong relationship with the County Commission and the public is one of his chief objectives, according to Helton. He plans to address current policies with the boards of the Chamber and EDOC, in an effort to make information more readily available to the public. And, the new CEO says that he knows that there are questions from both the public and the County Commission that will need to be addressed concerning the relationship between the Chamber and EDOC.
With the upcoming budgeting season just around the corner, one of Helton’s duties will be to prepare the budget requests for both EDOC and the Chamber. While he is accustomed to standing before the budget committee, this time he will come with a funding request of his own. Helton said that he does not anticipate any reduction in the Chamber or EDOC’s funding requests at this time but he does have a plan that he believes will alleviate the funding pressure with the County Commission.
Another item high on the new CEO’s list is leading the way with the Go Local campaign and he believes that the Chamber should lead by example. He is committed to purchasing local for both goods, as well as services, and is extending that commitment to contractor’s as well. Helton stated that not only will the Chamber contract with Jefferson County businesses; they will also keep sub contracted business inside the County. He said that he knows that shopping outside the County is a sticking point for many residents and Commissioners, he understands their concerns and agrees that if the money can be kept in Jefferson County, it should be. Helton is also looking to diversify when recruiting for Committees and Boards, to assure that more voices are heard.
The Jefferson County Industrial Development Board just made a move to purchase land off of Exit 4 in White Pine and, though Helton not an official Board Member, he anticipates working closely with the IDB on the issue. He said that it has become clear that the County needs property to be competitive and that it is difficult to even begin the race, little alone stay in the running for industry, without County owned property.
Helton will have a full plate as he makes plans to lead the Chamber and EDOC into the last half of this decade but he is ready to jump into the fray. With one month of leadership under his belt, Helton knows that there is much to accomplish and the best way to walk the path to success is together.
