New Chairman Of The Board At Walton County Chamber Of Commerce

There is a new man at the helm of the Walton County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Jimmy Parker, vice president of Precision Planning, stepped into the role a few months early after the current chairman, Steve Martin, stepped down.

“This is my sixth year on the Board of Directors and I also served as vice chair of Economic Development for the chamber for three years before being named chair-elect this year,” Parker said.

Martin, who is from Oconee County, stepped down when he left his job at the Walmart Distribution Center since it left him with few ties to Walton County. Parker, a lifelong resident with strong ties to the community, said he is excited about the prospect of serving the local business community through the chamber.

“As the Chamber of Commerce, I feel we need to continually look for new ways to reach out and support our member businesses,” Parker said, adding he believes the chamber has been blessed with “great leadership and a tremendous staff.”  

“I understand very personally that these are challenging times for local business owners. I believe very strongly that small business is the backbone of our local, state and national economy,” Parker said. “My primary goal as Chamber Chair is to implement an effective ‘Buy Local’ campaign, so that Walton County citizens understand the importance of supporting local businesses. We can improve our local economy and create jobs here in Walton County one tank of gas or bag of groceries at a time.”

As VP of Precision Planning, Parker is also manager of the Hard Labor Creek Reservoir project and serves on the Walton Regional Medical Center Advisory Board, the Communities in Schools Board and is chairman of the Bethlehem Christian Academy Athletic Booster Club. He is also a youth baseball and football coach.