Little Rock Regional Chamber Hires Director of Business Retention and Expansion
The Little Rock Regional Chamber has hired Raymond Omar Long as director of business retention and expansion. In this position, Raymond will execute the existing industry support program, which is part of the chamber’s MetRock 2020 Economic Development strategy. Raymond joins the chamber after most recently serving as the director of programs for the Urban League of the State of Arkansas.
“We’re excited to add a proven professional like Raymond to our chamber team,” said Jay Chesshir, president and CEO of the Little Rock Regional Chamber. “His diverse experience and local community connections will allow him to easily transition into this new role and help grow the positive impact our team can have on local businesses.”
The chamber proactively conducts over one hundred visits to existing industries within the region each year. The goal of these visits is to identify direct assistance needs and acquire industry-wide trends that the chamber and our economic development partners can respond to. Each year, the majority of economic growth and new job creation comes from existing business growth, so the chamber’s BRE program is the primary pillar of its broader economic development strategy.
“I’m excited to join the dynamic Little Rock Regional Chamber team,” said Raymond Omar Long. “The mission of the chamber aligns with one of my purposes in life. I could not pass up the opportunity to play a role in helping enhance the earning opportunities and quality of life of every citizen in the Little Rock region. I look forward to leveraging my experience, connections and talent to help the chamber retain and grow local businesses. I LOVE LITTLE ROCK.”
A proud native Arkansan and military veteran, Raymond has over ten years of business operations experience in a variety of disciplines and industries. From 2016-19, Raymond served as the founding executive director of Better Start Foundation, a youth development nonprofit focused on bringing a whole child approach to mentoring and developing 21st-century youth leadership programs.
Raymond is also an enthusiastic community volunteer who serves on the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity of Central Arkansas. In 2018, he was appointed to Mayor Scott’s Transition Education Subcommittee and most recently was inducted into Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXXV. Raymond is also a Charter Rotarian of the Little Rock Afterhours Rotary Club where he served as founding program chair.
About the Little Rock Regional Chamber
The Little Rock Regional Chamber is the principal business-driven leadership organization responsible for fostering the economic growth and development of the Little Rock region to ensure that business and industry may operate profitably and enhance the earning opportunities and quality of life for every citizen.
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