After a nationwide search, the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce has hired Steve Baffuto to serve as its fourth president and CEO.
Chamber board chairman Henry Bass announced the hiring, the decision made by the board’s selection committee made up of past and current board members and the chamber staff.
The Montgomery Chamber serves Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Montgomery County. The chamber supports approximately 600 local businesses through marketing, educational, and network-building opportunities.
Baffuto comes to the Chamber through Virginia ABC where he served as special agent in Charge for the Roanoke and Lynchburg Region. He administered and managed resources to meet the agency’s mission, goals, and objectives. He led teams of multigenerational officers and worked to build strong relationships with other law enforcement agencies.
In his position, he provided specialized services and training to new field agents. He was responsible for positive relationships with restaurants and businesses from Pulaski to Lynchburg. Baffuto holds a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Science degree from universities in Virginia.
Chamber board member Bill King served as chairman of the search committee. “Our committee of eight wanted to make certain we made the best choice of leaders for our chamber,” King said. “Steve has the right balance of leadership and understanding of strategy to continue the positive trajectory for our chamber. He shared some impressive ideas during interviews to build membership and enhance programming.”
Mark Woolwine, the chamber’s board chairman for 2022, said, “The chamber board has set the 2022 Program of Work, and this will allow Steve to meet chamber members and get to know business leaders for his first six months.
“Current staff members Jenna Phillips and Leo Priddy have a combined tenure of seven years to assist Steve in his transition to the chamber management world,” Woolwine said. “Steve has already been given multiple books on chamber management. The current president and CEO will stay on briefly to assist with onboarding Steve to ensure his success.
We are looking forward to Steve taking the leadership and senior administrative role for our chamber on Dec. 1,” Woolwine said.
“I am pleased to have been chosen to lead this organization,” Baffuto said. “I have been impressed with our local chamber and its progress since 2009. I am looking forward to working with the board, the staff, and the members to increase value across the board to the business community.”
