Gwyn Fisher will be joining the Greater Memphis Chamber later his month, taking over as director of economic development when Ted Townsend leaves the role to become chamber president and CEO.

Fisher is currently the Greater Memphis regional director for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, a position she has held since 2013. She'll join the chamber on Dec. 14, one day after Townsend takes the helm of the organization, the chamber said Thursday.

“I’ve worked closely with Gwyn for years, so I know from personal experience how tough and tenacious she can be when it comes to scoring major wins for our region. I have every confidence that Gwyn will lead our team and our region to greater heights," Townsend said.

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Fisher was part of the team that worked to secure the BlueOval City deal with Ford.

“What the Greater Memphis Chamber team has accomplished despite the pandemic and its aftereffects is nothing short of amazing,” she said. “Memphis is increasingly becoming a destination of choice for advanced manufacturers, especially in the areas of supply chain and logistics, agribusiness and food, medical device and health care technology, and music. My top priority is to accelerate that growth, which will result in even more opportunities and access to prosperity for all of Memphis.”

David McKinney, vice president of human resources and public affairs for AutoZone, praised the hire.

“Gwyn’s experience, proven track record of success and unwavering dedication to our region’s growth is simply remarkable. Her addition to the Chamber further positions Memphis to be even more competitive for years to come," McKinney said.

A graduate of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, Fisher also previously worked as executive director of MPACT Memphis before joining FedEx Express. While at FedEx Express, she founded Revolution Strategy, which strives to help government and community leaders create private-public partnerships.

Corinne S Kennedy covers economic development and healthcare for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached via email at Corinne.Kennedy@CommercialAppeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Chamber: Gwyn Fisher new chief economic development officer