New president named for Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce
Jun. 1—Travis Stephens has been named president of the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, chamber officials announced today.
Stephens previously worked as president and CEO of the Clarksville Regional Economic Development Organization, where he also served as president and CEO of the Clarksville-Johnson County Chamber of Commerce. In 2016, he was hired by the city of Bella Vista, Arkansas, to create the city's first economic development program as the economic development manager. He has worked as chief operations officer for the Greater Bentonville (Arkansas) Area Chamber of Commerce since March 2019.
"Travis comes from an impressive chamber background with knowledge and experience in community relations, economic development and civic engagement," said Betsy Kissel, chair of the Joplin chamber board of directors, in a statement. "We are looking forward to working with him in the near future and for years to come."
The selection comes after an 11-month process following a nationwide search conducted by Waverly Partners, LLC. The position of chamber president was left vacant after the departure of Toby Teeter in July 2021.
Stephens' first day with the chamber will be June 28.
"I firmly believe my 14 years in the field of community and economic development and the investments and developments that have been made in Joplin over the past decade are intersecting at the ideal time," Stephens said in a statement. "The chamber will be a leader in leveraging and maximizing the community's strengths and assets, which will help Joplin and the surrounding area to become the very best version of itself. By being innovative in our work and programming, we will attract talent, new business and industry, and, most importantly, boost and support our existing employers for further growth."
