McKeehan to retire at North Central chamber
David McKeehan, the only president and CEO in the 30-year-history of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, will retire at the end of the year, the Fitchburg-based organization announced today.
In a statement, the chamber’s board of directors said it will launch a national search for McKeehan’s successor and hope to have one on board by December.
The goal “is to attract a candidate with the right combination of leadership, economic development, public policy and collaboration skills that will continue the proactive mission of the organization and further bring its goals to the next level,” said board chairman Paul DiGeronimo, president of Geronimo Properties, of Leominster.
McKeehan, previously vice president of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, is credited with helping expand the North Central chamber to a membership of about 1,000 businesses that employ more than 25,000 in Fitchburg, Leominster and surrounding communities. He is also president of the North Central Massachusetts Development Corp. and president of the region’s hospitality and tourism organization, the Johnny Appleseed Trail Association.
In addition, McKeehan is a trustee of the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts and serves as chairman of its grant-making committee, according to a statement from the chamber. In 2007, he was presented with the “Service Above Self Award” by Mount Wachusett Community College for making significant contributions to the school. He has also been recognized by Fitchburg State University as one of the “100 Most Influential People in the Last 100 Years” at its centennial celebration in 1994.
The chamber said it has formed a committee that will oversee the search for McKeehan’s successor. Former board chairman Suzanne Farias, general manager of the Leominster DoubleTree Hotel, and Doug Petersen, president of Workers’ Credit Union and the board’s vice chairman, will head the panel. An executive search firm will be used to conduct the search, and recruit and screen candidates.
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