RICHMOND HILL – Chris McDonald has worked in strengthening local businesses and civic engagement across the country. Now, he’ll carry that work to Bryan County as the new Chamber of Commerce CEO.

For nearly a year, Bryan County’s Chamber CEO seat has been in limbo with a Chamber board member serving as the interim. McDonald, who previously served as the United Way of the Coastal Empire’s Regional County Director for Bryan County, said he was eager for the opportunity to take on the position and gear the Chamber’s mission back toward a strong and connected business community.

“Our chamber efficiency is going to change,” McDonald said. “The opportunities for businesses to engage with each other, to engage with the chamber, to engage with our municipalities and state officials, that's going to increase dramatically.”

During McDonald’s first month on the job, he’s been gearing up for the Chamber’s Boots & Roots Music and Food Truck Festival on Nov. 7, but McDonald said his plans for the new role extend much further than event planning.

“The Chamber has always been great with putting on events,” he said. “We still want to do that, but our focus now is going to be improving the economic climate here in Bryan County, in doing business in Bryan County and ensuring that our business owners are supported, they’re highlighted, and our local community understands what their impact is.”

This means member-focused programming that allows for connectivity and development among the Chamber's more than 600 members, McDonald said.

Membership, membership, membership

In his first year, McDonald said he wants to increase membership in the Chamber of Commerce but also expand the Chamber’s advocacy for the county’s business community at the local, state and federal level.

“It's an exciting time to be a member of the Chamber of Commerce or to look into being a member because the return on that investment is going to be immediate,” he said.

For future member activities, some of the ideas in the works are:

• Residential focus: How does business connect to Bryan County’s growing population?
• Engaging with the school system
• State of the community in both North and South Bryan
• Hospitality focus

“I'm looking to put together a hotel concierge's front desk tour to invite our hotel operational staff that are recommending where to eat, where to shop, to bring them into our local restaurants and our businesses to have those be top of mind,” McDonald said.

Learning from the State of the Community

In August, Bryan County had its State of the Community Address, which McDonald said highlighted economic leakage as a county-wide issue.

He said because Bryan County does not have businesses and services to meet every consumer need, residents often travel to neighboring counties to make purchases.

For McDonald, strengthening Bryan County's economy starts with keeping more money circulating within the community. He pointed to the economic impact of shopping locally – an estimated 67 to 68 cents of every dollar spent at a small business stays in the local economy. Local banks also contribute to that cycle by lending to local businesses and hiring local employees, he said.

McDonald said keeping more of the community’s dollars at home is essential to building a stronger tax base and generating the resources needed for infrastructure improvements and future business recruitment.

“We want to keep those dollars here because building a strong foundational tax base is key to keeping our community vibrant,” he said.

Building off Bryan County’s strengths

McDonald said he is excited about one advantage Bryan County already has, which is a community that values supporting its local businesses.

The next step is expanding the options available to residents, including more entertainment, small-business services and industries that are not currently represented in the county. He said he also sees opportunities for municipalities to streamline the process of opening a business, making it easier for entrepreneurs to establish themselves locally.

McDonald said he believes the county's strong school system could also become a greater economic asset if paired with more local career opportunities. He pointed to Bryan County’s top school system, which draws families to the area, but many students leave for college and do not have clear opportunities to bring their education and skills back home.

He said he'd like to see an expansion of local workplace learning opportunities.

“They've started, but they can go much further,” McDonald said. “That's where bringing in larger organizations like the Burlingtons, and the Hyundais, and their suppliers into this county really has strong value because now those students that we've invested so much into have an opportunity to come back and work here back where they started, back where their roots are.”

Building off these strengths also means engaging with regional partners. McDonald said he wants the county to continue strengthening its partnership with Regional Industry Support Enterprise (RISE), which has engaged Bryan County in meaningful workforce initiatives focused on schools.

He also hinted at future opportunities with Savannah Technical College, which he said is looking for two different locations in Bryan County to build out workforce development.

“That type of opportunity both on the south and the north end would be crucial to ensuring that we've got long-term labor stability here,” McDonald said.

McDonald emphasized the importance of a strong Chamber that’s supporting and engaging its membership and strengthening Bryan County’s business ecosystem.

“We're the fastest growing county in the state, and in order to match that growth, we need to make sure that the investments that are being placed into our community today are not only recognized, but have a voice with our political figures,” he said. “There's no better way to do it than to do that as a collective group.”