Chamber of Commerce names new president

The Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce Board has named Ron Kitchens as the new president and CEO of the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Kitchens comes to Wichita Falls from Birmingham, Alabama, where he was the president and CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance for about one year. Birmingham has a population of about 198,000.

Before that he was longtime senior partner & CEO of Southwest Michigan First, a privately financed economic development consulting business in seven counties of southwest Michigan.

"Ron offers deep strengths in developing and managing boards and guiding start-up initiatives, providing overall direction, mentorship and coaching to facilitate development victories. He brings a proven track record in overseeing the steady growth of regional development efforts including Southwest Michigan First where it was consistently recognized as one of the Best Places to work in America," the chamber said in a news release Tuesday.

Kitchens replaced Henry Florsheim, who resigned in July to take a similar job in the Metroplex area.

Kitchens starts his new job Nov. 28.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce names new president