A Chat with the New Chamber President

We recently visited with the new BrunswickGolden Isles Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer Ralph Staffins to discuss his new position and some of the strides he has already taken in the short time he has been at the job.

Staffins comes to us with quite of bit of experience having served as president and chief executive officer of the Covington-Newton County Chamber of Commerce in Covington, Georgia, located about 30 miles east of Atlanta. He led the chamber of commerce, economic development office, main street program and tourism in Newton County since 2015. They received a 4-Star Certification by the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation in 2018, under Staffins’ guidance. This is quite is distinction, as one of the highest des-

ignations afforded to chambers of commerce, only the top three percent of chambers in the country have such a designation.

Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, Georgia is where Ralph earned his Bachelor of Science in political science in 2006 and Master of Public Administration in 2008. He was executive director of Forward McDuffie in Thomson, Georgia and also served as economic development director for Wilkinson County, Georgia, prior to his time in Covington.

“To have the opportunity to lead the BrunswickGolden Isles Chamber and grow in my profession is exciting,” says Staffins. “Following in the footsteps of a chamber icon like Woody Woodside is going to be challenging. I look forward to becoming a part of the team that continues building a strong business community.”

Ralph currently serves as vice chair of the Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, and will chair that organization in 2020-2021. He is also a Certified Economic Development Professional as designated by the International Economic Development Council, Georgia Certified Chamber Executive, graduate of Leadership Georgia, graduate of Georgia Academy of Economic Development, and board member of the Newton County Industrial Development Authority.

Staffins love of business comes to him naturally. Both his grandparents and parents were small business owners. Ralph explained, “small business is in my blood and is the backbone of any community.” Ralph was also quick

to point out that while work is important, family and church play a huge part of his life. His wife Rachel and children Evelyn (7), Katherine (5), and Calvin (9 months) are in the process of moving to the Golden Isles.

Although this is the fourth chamber that Ralph has been a part of, he tells us the folks in the Golden Isles have been the most welcoming and he is really looking forward to living here. One of the major reasons he chose to take the job here is the quality of life in the Golden Isles and he is looking forward to raising his family surrounded by the natural beauty found here. He doesn’t consider this a career move as much as a “move for life.” Staffins hit the ground running with the chamber’s new campaign of meeting 100 businesses in 100 days. Actually, he met with 150 members in one month. He considers himself an “agent of change” and his goal is to bring businesses and organizations to the table together and to lead with community partners. He also wants to personally get to know the chamber members, be as visible as can be, and is now conducting “listening sessions’ to collect information from community members, the chamber board and staff. Ralph says that he is ready to be held accountable to the chamber staff, board and community and plans on making a positive impact to the community. He has already started getting the word out because since coming to the chamber, his social media presence has increased by a whopping 231%!

Ralph is working together with Ryan Moore of the Brunswick & Glynn County Development Authority and Scott McQuade of the Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau, and has started having routine meetings with them. He tells us that partnering with these gentlemen is more than sharing office space. Between the three of their organizations, they pretty much cover everything about working, living and playing in the Golden Isles.

We enjoyed our time speaking with Ralph and look forward to more conversations and seeing the changes he will bring to our area. For more information about the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, visit brunswickgoldenisleschamber.com.