Columbia Chamber president announces retirement : News : ConnectMidMissouri.com

Columbia Chamber president announces retirement

Posted: 05.24.2012 at 1:14 PM

Columbia Chamber of Commerce president announces retirement

Columbia – Don Laird, president of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, announced today he will retire on January 15, 2013. By then, Laird will have held the position for 24 years.

Chair of the Chamber board of directors, Vicki Russell, said the organization will begin a search process immediately.

“I knew Don hit the traditional retirement age a few months ago so I wasn’t totally caught off guard. However, we hadn’t discussed the prospect of his retirement for a couple of years so I wasn’t expecting his decision at this point. I certainly understand and respect his wishes. He deserves to enjoy retirement while he is healthy and young,” Russell said.

Laird’s timing will assist the Chamber with a smooth transition.

“Don has graciously given us more than seven months to find his successor, which is a wonderful courtesy and speaks volumes about his loyalty to the organization,” Russell said.

Russell imagines the change will be challenging for some members and community leaders.

“Don is the only Columbia Chamber President that many people have ever known. This is a bittersweet moment. We must all come to grips with the idea that a new person will fill Don’s office while we celebrate his dedication and excellent management,” she said.

Laird has been responsible for many improvements to the organization but his most important legacy is perhaps his two-plus decades of stability, Russell said.

“Not every Chamber is lucky enough to be able to retain such a popular, productive leader for so long. It’s a wonderful tribute to Don and something most of us have taken for granted while he has remained on the job,” Russell said.

Russell, also the publisher of the Columbia Daily Tribune, and Chamber chair-elect Randy Coil, Coil Construction, today named Kee Groshong and Bob Wagner as co-chairs of a selection task force to search for the next Chamber President.
Groshong, a past Chamber chair, is retired from the University of Missouri. Wagner will become chair-elect on July 1. He currently serves on the Boone Hospital Board of Trustees and is the chair of the Columbia Insurance Group board of directors.

Other members of the task force will be named soon, Russell said.

“We will get suggestions from our board members and identify a good mix of members and experienced Chamber leaders,” she said.

Laird began his career as a Chamber professional in 1980 in Vermillion, South Dakota, and then moved on to Garden City, Kansas, before arriving in Columbia in December, 1988.

“My family and I have been fortunate to be a part of Columbia, Missouri, and always consider our move here to be a great stroke of luck,” says Laird. “Joey and I love Columbia and have no desire to relocate. This is just a terrific community.”

A native of Grand Forks, North Dakota, and a graduate of the University of North Dakota, Laird also received a masters degree in geography from the University of Missouri. Both of his sons, Cam and Grady, graduated from the University of Missouri.

“I am indebted to the many outstanding leaders that served the Chamber through the years. In addition, a great staff that is dedicated, energetic, and talented has made my service to the Chamber a pleasure,” said Laird. “Working together, Chamber volunteers, Chamber staff and our many public and private sector partners have helped make Columbia the envy of many in the state of Missouri and around the nation.”

The Columbia Chamber of Commerce was established in 1905 and is a voluntary, member-supported organization of business, industrial and professional people who are dedicated to developing, promoting and maintaining a sound and healthy economic climate for Columbia. The Columbia Chamber of Commerce has been recognized as a 4-Star Accredited Chamber by the United States Chamber of Commerce.

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