Sims leaving Dayton Chamber

The Dayton Chamber of Commerce will be on the hunt for a new executive director with this week’s announcement of Jessica Sims’ departure from that role on Tuesday, May 10.

Sims has spent five years with the chamber, most recently in the top role of guiding the way.

“After five intense, happy years working with the Dayton Chamber of Commerce and as the Executive Director, a role I cherished, I’ve decided the time is right for me to move on to a new challenge and the next chapter in my professional life,” said in a prepared announcement.

As Sims moves on to that next chapter, she will not have to travel very far as she joins First Liberty National Bank, where she will work as a business development officer. Her primary area of focus will be in Dayton and Mont Belvieu.

Sims is proud of the chamber’s work in her time there, with significant strides being made in member growth.

“We’ve grown our membership tremendously,” she continued, “we are averaging five new members per month now.”

Sims shared how the chamber, like everyone, had to deal with COVID19 and that it stopped their ability to promote local businesses. More importantly, how they kicked off programming as the lockdowns ended with events like Taste of Dayton being held outdoors.

“It did affect the chamber a lot more than people would think it would,” she said.

The chamber has also worked with the Dayton Community Development Corporation under Sims to offer workshops designed to assist the local business community.

“It has been an extreme pleasure serving this organization, and I’m very proud of the work we’ve been able to accomplish as a team in the past five years. You welcomed me with open arms from day one, and I couldn’t be more thankful,” said Sims.

Most recently, the chamber was honored as the Best Local Chamber in Liberty County by the readers of The Vindicator.

Now with Sims’ departure, the chamber board is expected to meet and decide on a plan going forward to find a new director in the near future.