CLEVELAND, Tenn. (Jan. 26, 2009)—President and CEO Gary Farlow has announced the promotion of Nancy Neal to vice president of communications for the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce. 

The announcement followed a meeting of the Chamber’s Board of Directors in December 2008.

Neal’s affiliation with the Chamber of Commerce began in January 1992 when she contracted to produce the organization’s monthly newsletter and quarterly magazine, Living. As the Chamber’s need for additional communication with their membership and the local community increased, the Board of Directors created a part-time position for a communications coordinator. In 1997 she became full-time director of communications.

“Nancy’s commitment to excellence in her profession and to Chamber work were instrumental in our decision to promote her to vice president,” Farlow said. “She is passionate about what she does and is an invaluable member of our team.”

Neal’s responsibilities include promoting the Chamber and its programs locally and regionally, marketing the Chamber and the community via the Internet, and producing the Chamber’s print publications.

“My heart will always be in writing and editing print projects,” Neal said, “but in my years at the Chamber, I’ve had to rise to the challenges dictated by the changing face of communications. I strive to maintain quality in our primary print publications while adapting to communicating via the Internet. For our Chamber communications to be effective, our message must be in a format that is readily accessible to those who need the information.”

She added, “And the quality of our online information has been especially beneficial in the past couple of years when site selectors and businesses have looked at our community as a possible place to locate or expand.”

As part of her responsibilities, Neal launched two new print projects in recent years, a four-color quality-of-life magazine, The Experience, and a four-color Relocation Guide. The latter, included also as an icon on the Chamber’s redesigned website launched in April 2008, helped to more than double requests for relocation information last year.

“Under Nancy’s excellent guidance, the communications efforts of the Chamber have become more polished and unified,” Executive Vice President Bernadette Douglas said. “She ensures that the image we project in the community reflects the professionalism of our organization and our volunteers.”

The newly promoted vice president has worked in communications for more than 30 years and received the Cleveland Media Association’s 2008 “Excellence in Communications” award. She has written for a variety of magazines; taught in the Lee University Communication and Fine Arts Department, English Department, and Business Department; and freelanced as a writer and editor. She is a frequent presenter on communications for Tennessee Chamber of Commerce’s Institute.

Neal holds a master’s degree in communications from The University of Tennessee. She is a graduate of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce Institute and Leadership Cleveland. She maintains membership in the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and Cleveland Media Association. She currently serves as president of the Board of Directors of the Learning Center for Adults and Families and has served on numerous fund distribution panels for United Way of Bradley County.

She is a member of Westmore Church of God and plays in the orchestra.

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