Seldom does any organization find itself with two highly capable leaders at its helm to steer it into the future. But that is exactly the situation the Fannin County Chamber of Commerce will enjoy beginning January 1, 2022.
That is the official date of Jan Hackett’s retirement as president, a role she has held for the past 20 years. However, she will still be active as she contracts with the chamber to direct its tourism marketing.
And as she retires, Christie Gribble will begin her tenure as chamber president. Gribble has led the Fannin County Development Authority as its economic development director for the past six years.
The official announcement of Hackett’s retirement and Gribble’s new role came at the chamber board of directors meeting Wednesday, October 20.
Neither leader had much to say when the announcement was made, but their resumes and what each has done for Fannin County speak volumes.
When Hackett took over as chamber president in 2001, the organization had 450 members. Today that total stands at 850.
She led the effort to support local business by encouraging residents to always “buy local,” while at the same time guiding a marketing campaign that has been instrumental in Fannin County’s growth.
For example, the last 20 years have seen:
•The number of second homes grow from 2,000 to 5,000;
•The number of vacation rentals increase from 350 to more than 2,000 because of demand; and,
•Lodging revenue grow from $4.3 million in 2001 to $65.6 million in 2020.
In 2001, there were 14 empty buildings in downtown Blue Ridge and only one restaurant. Mercier Orchards was only open seasonally.
At the beginning of this 20-year growth, the chamber was housed in the small building next to United Community Bank and had three full-time and two part-time employees. Now, there are five full-time and six part-time employees. The organization now occupies a building it owns off Orvin Lance Drive with a visitors center inside. Visitors centers are also located in the Caboose in downtown Blue Ridge and on the banks of the Toccoa River in McCaysville.
Since joining the Economic Development Authority six years ago, Gribble has graduated from Leadership Georgia, the Georgia Academy, and Georgia Tech Economic Development.
That experience has helped her build strong working relationships with county, city, and state leaders as well as much of the business community.
Most recently, Gribble spearheaded newsletters and webinars for the community during COVID-19, created a community job board to help connect businesses and potential employees, organized the first job fair with the University of North Georgia and over 40 employers, and spearheaded the application for Economic Development Partnership with Georgia DOE.
Gribble also created strong partnerships between the county and ETC and Blue Ridge Mountain EMC, as the two internet providers seek grants to expand broadband service in Fannin County.
She has also developed a working relationship with the U.S. Forest Service in an effort to secure a grant for the Green Creek Trail.
Looking forward to her new role, Gribble said, “Jan and the chamber staff have been my greatest ally.”