Carrie Martin will be the new Columbus-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce director, the Chamber announced Monday.
Martin will begin the role in June, replacing former director Cathryn Borer who left the post in December 2023 to take a job at the Mississippi University for Women.
“I am thrilled to lead this organization into a new era and collaborate with our members to achieve our goals,” Martin said in a press release sent to The Dispatch. “It is an honor to have been chosen as director, and I am eager to serve and support our community.”
Martin, who is originally from Ocean Springs, moved to the Golden Triangle in 2012 and has filled various roles in the community since.
She is a lifelong Junior Auxiliary member and served as the president of the JA of Columbus from 2020 to 2021. Martin has been a Chamber of Commerce Ambassador since 2022, working to promote awareness of Chamber services. She is also an active contributor to the Hitching Lot Farmers Market.
Martin said she is looking forward to expanding her connections within Lowndes County as she starts the new role.
“I’m really excited about connecting with the parts of the community I might not be as familiar with and contacting new businesses,” she said. “It is a tight-knit community, but there’s a lot of people out there I don’t know, so I’m excited to get to know them.”
The Chamber also announced it has completed its transition to operate independently from the Golden Triangle Development LINK. The Chamber has operated as a subsidiary of the LINK for more than a decade but recently filed for its own 501(c)6 nonprofit status and drafted new bylaws.
Ashleigh Guyton, chair of the CLCC Executive Board, said the board is excited to start its next chapter under Martin’s leadership.
“We believe Carrie will be a wonderful fit for this role due to her active community and Chamber involvement,” she said in a press release. “We, as a board, are ready to embark on this new adventure as a stand-alone organization with Carrie as our director.”
The Chamber will begin operating out of the Columbus Visitors Bureau offices on Third Street South starting June 3.
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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