A Career Come Full Circle

When Chris Clark first sat behind the president’s desk at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 1, 2010, he felt, in many ways, that his career had come full circle.

Although the Georgia Southern alumnus left behind a gubernatorial appointment as commissioner for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to take over as president and CEO for the Georgia Chamber, his first efforts as a business advocate began in 1997 as president of the Hawkinsville, Ga., Chamber of Commerce. But his roots in public service run even deeper.

Clark said it was during his term as Student Government Association (SGA) president at Georgia Southern when he found his calling.“My parents taught me as a child to approach life with a servant’s heart, but these lessons were crystallized when I was at Georgia Southern,” said Clark, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science in 1992. “As SGA president, I saw so many needs – not just for current students, but for future students as well; and I understood our responsibility to make changes that would endure.”

As a senior at Georgia Southern, Clark challenged the student body to pay it forward – and they did. A clear majority approved a landmark referendum that established funding for the Student Recreation Activity Center, which few of them would be around to use. Clark said no one envisioned it would become the cornerstone for student activity as it has, but it was inspiring to see thousands commit to a project that would improve campus life for the next generation.

As president of the Georgia Chamber, Clark will again represent a sundry of constituents with differing needs – from coastal industry and rural farmers to entrepreneurs and business owners across the state – in order to strengthen the future for Georgia businesses. He believes his biggest challenge will be overcoming economic hardship in a heavily federally regulated business climate in order to create jobs.

Still, the devoted public servant approaches the weighty task with both youthful vigor and more than 15 years of experience.

“You can expect a more aggressive, proactive, energized state chamber to which the business community can look to for leadership,” said Clark, who also holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Georgia College and State University and Economic Development Certification from the University of Oklahoma. “We plan to work with business owners and elected officials to make the state of Georgia more competitive by pushing for leadership in transportation, education, tax policy, natural resources and all other areas.”

Clark said that when he looks back over the years, he can see God during every step laying the groundwork for this new stage in his career. “Georgia Southern exposed me to so many different ways to serve,” Clark said. “With each new endeavor, I carry with me lasting relationships and experiences from Georgia Southern, which make me a better public servant and leader.”

Clark frequently returns to campus to fulfill his new role as a member of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Advisory Committee. He lives in Fayetteville, Ga., with Tiffany, his wife of nine years, who works as a producer for Atlanta-based cable channel GNC-TV. They have a 4-year-old son, Christian, who loves Georgia Southern football, the Eagles’ mascot, Gus, and being his dad’s “travel buddy” to see the Eagles in action.

–Jennifer Tanner