Bradford leaving chamber post

By Staff
Jonathan Willis
Eighteen months after naming a new executive director to lead the county's chamber of commerce, board members will now face that dubious task once again.
Susan Hall, president of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, told board members Thursday that executive director Cheryl Bradford had resigned effective immediately.
Bradford had served as the chamber's executive director for the past 18 months.
Hall thanked Bradford for her service and hard work and said "we all wish her the very best."
In a statement Thursday, Bradford said she did not share the same vision as some of her board members and had no choice other than to resign.
The chamber of commerce board of directors is comprised of an 18-member full board and a five member executive board.
"I have loved this job," Bradford said. "It is so enjoyable and I have enjoyed working all over Franklin County. However, for whatever reason, I was never able to gain the support and confidence of my executive board. There is five of them and one of me and we do not have the same vision for the chamber.
"I am very disappointed in myself that I could not provide or figure out what they wanted in a chamber director. I am very uncomfortable with this ongoing situation and feel it is best for me and for our county to remove myself from this situation. Thanks so much to those of you who were so great and supportive of what I tried to do."
The full chamber board will meet next week to discuss the situation and make arrangements for next month's Watermelon Festival.
In the meantime, Hall said business would continue as usual at the chamber office, including orientation sessions for incoming Junior Leadership students and their parents the next two weekends. Watermelon Festival t-shirts are on sale and the office will be staffed moving forward.
Ken Askew, who serves as past-president of the chamber board, said he was surprised to learn of Bradford's resignation Thursday.
"During Cheryl's tenure many new and positive projects have been initiated including the Chamber Chatter newsletter, the Shop Franklin County campaign and the recent $20 on the 20th initiative," Askew said.
"New relationships have been established with not for profits in the community and it's our goal to continue these positive initiatives that have been put in place. The situation we find ourselves in, being without a director, is unfortunate but we will work through it quickly."