Chattanooga Chamber removes interim from Charles Wood’s title
The longtime executive and its Vice President for Economic Development was serving as the organization's Interim President and Chief Executive Officer.
Longtime Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce executive Charles Wood has been named the organization’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). His appointment was announced Tuesday by Janelle Reilly, Board Chair.
Wood, the organization’s Vice President for Economic Development, had been serving as the Chamber’s interim top executive since the departure of Christy Gillenwater who started her new role as President and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber in January 2023. In this role, he will oversee programs and services of both the Chattanooga Chamber and the Chamber Foundation.
“Charles was the right choice, having proven his leadership abilities and economic development acumen both during his interim role as President and CEO and his overall tenure with the Chattanooga Chamber,” Reilly said.
Wood joined the Chattanooga Chamber in 2012 and has worked alongside several Chattanooga City government and Hamilton County government administrations. He led the creation of the Chattanooga Chamber’s first economic and talent development strategy and supported the creation of more than 14,000 jobs and billions of dollars of investment in the Chattanooga region. Prior to joining the Chattanooga Chamber, Wood held positions at chambers of commerce in Pensacola, FL and Mobile, AL as well as economic development positions in Texas and Mississippi.
