A Greater Seymour Chamber of Commerce committee plans to launch the search for a new president after the current one recently announced her departure.

Tricia Bechman, who has led the chamber since 2014, said she plans to move to Johnson County so she and her son can be closer to her parents.

Bechman, a Franklin native, announced last week that her final day at the organization will be Nov. 7.

"When I became a mom, I did not have any expectation of moving," she said, adding she realized how much value there was to being close to grandparents. "I know how much I cherished my relationship with my grandparents, and I don’t want him to miss out on that, and I don’t want them to miss out on it because he will be their only grandchild. It’s strictly a family reason."

Sasha Norman, the chamber’s events coordinator, and chamber office manager Dee Smith will handle day-to-day operations until a replacement is named.

Bechman said she enjoyed being part of the community here and getting to know people in the city and throughout Jackson County. She said she feels like the area will soon see the benefits from projects completed by a number of organizations.

"I hate to leave because I think Seymour is right at the peak of the hill, and I think things are really starting to take off, and that ride is going to be fun," she said. "I think more businesses will be coming downtown and more projects are going to take off."

Stephanie Flinn, a chamber board member, said a search committee was formed after Bechman announced her plans. 

Flinn said the committee will work with the Indiana Chamber Executive Association to collect and review résumés, interview candidates and provide the board with a recommendation.

Although the date of Bechman’s replacement is not available, Flinn said the committee is focused on naming a qualified individual in a timely manner.

"In five years, she’s led a number of transformations at the Seymour chamber, including new events and committees, updated benefit structure for members, new practices and procedures for staff and board, hired the chamber’s first events coordinator and our rebranding efforts," Flinn said. "We’re thankful for her work and commitment to the community and wish her well as she returns back to her hometown."

Bechman has worked for chambers of commerce since 2002 when she started at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce. She succeeded Bill Bailey as president of the Greater Seymour Chamber of Commerce in April 2014.

"I came into a leadership position since I was 24 years old," she said. "I’m ready for a slowdown, and I’m ready for a different focus, and that’s on family."

The outreach is something Bechman will miss. She said she enjoyed the chamber lunches, golf outing, women’s conference dinner, seminars and more.

She said it was beneficial to lead the organization when she was from a different community. She said that gave her a fresh take on events, processes and more.

"It gave me a different perspective for sure, and I think having a solid staff here helped me out a ton," she said. "I think I brought back the focus on our members, too."

Bechman said she would like to see the next chamber president continue to become a collaborative partner in the community.

"I feel like I’ve done great on that over the last five and a half years, and I think the chamber can help with a variety of different things for the community," she said. "I hope whoever takes my place continues to foster relationships and continues to build and grow them."

Flinn said the position will require a special set of skills for mission advancement, including coordination, program planning, membership, staff and board development and being an advocate for the organization.

"This person will collaborate with other community leaders to ensure that Seymour continues to build and grow," she said.

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Apply for the president of the Greater Seymour Chamber of Commerce by sending a résumé to [email protected].

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