Chamber President David Gill Retires After 6 Years

David Gill (c.), President and CEO of the Henry County Chamber of Commerce for the last six years, retired last month. Henry County Commission Chair June Wood (l.) and Mayor Anthony Ford, City of Stockbridge, presented a proclamation declaring it David H. Gill Day at the Chamber Board meeting on May 22.

Remarks for 2019 Citizen of the Year Award Winner, David Gill, 52nd Annual Chamber Meeting & Awards Dinner, February 9, 2019

By Leonard Moreland, Past HCCC Chair, 2016

No suspense this year, the Henry County Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year is David Gill.

At the 2019 HCCC Annual Banquet, David Gill was presented the 2019 HCCC Citizen of the Year Award by Wayne Lowrey, Executive Vice President of United Community Bank.

David and Terry have been residents of our community since 1993.

They have two children (Jordan and Matthew) and three grandchildren (Benjamin, Caroline and Lolli). They are members of McDonough United Methodist Church.

As the President and CEO of the First State Bank, the most successful banking organization in the history of our county, he brought all the resources the bank had to ensure the quality development of the county during our rapid growth period. First State grew to almost $750 million in assets and 7 banking locations. At one time more than 40% of the residents of Henry County banked with First State, a percentage rarely found in our industry.

In 2013, David brought these skills to the Chamber when he assumed the role of President and CEO. We all have witnessed the successes of the Chamber under his leadership, but let me say, I saw firsthand during my time on the board and as Chairman, no one works harder than David Gill. I know as he is sitting there listening to my comments, he just wants me to hurry up and shut up, but his humble nature contributes to his success as a leader. He constantly gives the board and staff at the Chamber credit for the positive accomplishments and takes the full blame for the very rare miss-step that may occur. I don’t mean to take away from the effort and accomplishments of the board and especially the staff, but David is the rock of stability and the oil to this well-tuned machine.

During his tenure the Chamber has:

• Achieved remarkable financial success

• He single handedly led the purchase of the lot next door to the Chamber for $0 net cost

• He identified the need to provide better benefits to all chamber employees and put in a full benefits package

• He strengthened the membership structure and added the “elite” category of membership

• He grew the Intergovernmental Retreat program and added a component to measure effectiveness at implementing ideas

• He continued the Chamber’s reputation as non-partisan while working with all elected officials to help develop programs and opportunities for Henry County citizens and businesses

• He has led the way as the Chamber has continued their emphasis on education (Star Student Breakfast, TIP Luncheon, Southern Crescent Tech’s second building, and partnering with the Academy for Advanced Studies) just to name a few

• He assisted with both SPLOST and ESPLOST programs

• He has served as board member the past two years and chair the last year of the Henry County Development Authority

I could stand up here for another hour and continue to list his contributions, but again I know this is not what David wants.

On a personal note, I didn’t know David well when we were competitors. When he took the job as CEO of the Chamber, I quickly grew to know him professionally and later as a friend. For over four years we have served together on the board of One Henry. The real vision for One Henry came from an Intergovernmental Retreat to Savannah to study the port widening and the effects it would have on Henry County.

Once we all returned from Savannah, we went back to our daily jobs and all of life’s distractions, but not David. David had a vision of all those trucks headed up from the expanded port and the opportunity it presented. His vision was to get those trucks off I-75 and onto rail cars in Henry County and send the trucks back to the port loaded with items manufactured in Henry County. He saw a new interchange on I-75 between McDonough and Locust Grove. He saw an intermodal rail yard in Henry County. He saw an inland port for customs clearing in Henry County. He saw improvement to quality of life for all Henry Countians. He saw better paying jobs and opportunity for Henry graduates. He saw the future, when many of us saw a river and some big ships. More than that he was willing to invest his time, talent and treasure to try to make that vision a reality.

Very few commit themselves to their community like David Gill has to Henry County for the past 25 years. I am sure I speak for everyone in this room and in this county past and present when I say I thank the Lord He placed David Gill in Henry County.

Your 2019 Henry County Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year, Mr. David Gill.