Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce ousts CEO of eight years (original) (raw)

HOT SPRINGS -- After more than eight years at the helm of the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce, Gary Troutman is no longer the organization's president and CEO.

According to an email obtained by The Sentinel-Record that was sent Thursday afternoon by Karol Bailes, current chair of the Hot Springs Metro Partnership, a unanimous decision by the chamber board of directors' executive committee to terminate Troutman's employment was approved Thursday morning by the chamber's full board.

The decision also ended Troutman's employment as the president and CEO of the Metro Partnership, the public-private nonprofit economic development organization affiliated with the chamber. Troutman had led both organizations since Sept. 18, 2017.

Troutman declined to comment when contacted by the newspaper.

Cole McCaskill, the vice president of economic development for both organizations, was named the interim president and CEO by the board.

Bailes, Chamber board of directors Chair Karen Witt and First Vice-Chair Tiffany Tucker did not respond to calls for comment, and Second Vice-Chairman Justin Nicklas declined to comment. McCaskill responded to a text for comment by saying, "Chamber policy is to not comment on personnel matters."

"We are energized about the vision Cole has shared with us and are confident in his leadership of our two organizations," Witt and Bailes said in a news release announcing McCaskill's new role. The release did not mention Troutman nor any reasons for his departure.

McCaskill said in the release he was honored to accept the role.

"The Chamber and Partnership have a unique position to do great things in our community," he said. "These organizations have an incredible legacy of leadership, going back over 130 years, and I want our team to build on that."

Starting with the chamber as an intern in 2013, McCaskill had been in his leadership role since 2017. McCaskill "oversaw economic development initiatives including business attraction, business retention, industrial and manufacturing development, downtown development, and retail development," the release said.

"I learned this business from the ground up," McCaskill said in the release. "I started as an intern in 2013 and have worked just about every job in the building. From that perspective, I see a lot of great things in our future."

The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce is under new leadership after Gary Troutman was fired as the organization's president and CEO by the board Thursday morning. Cole McCaskill, who was the vice president of economic development for the chamber and the Hot Springs Metro Partnership, was named the interim president and CEO for both organizations. (The Sentinel-Record/Thomas Buckman)