It has been more than a decade since Virginia Gibbs was selected as the president and CEO of the Fayette Chamber of Commerce. Gibbs announced Oct. 13 that she will retire on Dec. 31. (See her letter to the editor here.)
“After over a decade at the helm of the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, I have let our board and staff know that it is my plan to retire from the chamber Dec. 31,” Gibbs said in a letter to the editor. “It has been such a privilege, honor and blessing to have had the opportunity to lead this incredible organization. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t been inspired and humbled by the opportunities our team has to make a difference through our efforts at the chamber, not only on behalf of the businesses and organizations that make up our membership, but also for our Fayette community.”
Gibbs said Monday she has no master plan in mind, adding that prior to coming to the chamber she had taken a sabbatical.
“It’s time now to pause and reflect and see what’s next for me,” she said.
As for the timing of her retirement, Gibbs said that timing was right, not wrong, adding that healthy organizations embrace change.
“Our chamber has played an integral role in being a catalyst for healthy, inclusive community conversations on difficult and very personal conversations like diversity, community health, and how best to support our students for their futures. We’ve helped our community to articulate its vision for the future,” Gibbs said in reference to the Fayette Visioning Initiative that is set to enter the implementation phase.
“We’ve been willing to ask ourselves the hard questions about our own programming and how we should best align our capabilities in areas such as leadership development and input on public policy. And we have had the courage to not be satisfied with being good, but rather to act to improve the areas which need to be better,” said Gibbs.
Gibbs said the chamber’s executive board in currently determining how the search to replace her will be conducted.
“So, what’s right with the chamber? So much is right, that I can confidently say it’s time to hand off the baton,” she said. “What’s next for me? Time to relax, reflect and find where my life’s journey will lead me next.”
