Michigan native to lead the Phenix City/Russell County Chamber

A Michigan native who most recently led the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce in Kansas has been hired as the new president and chief executive officer of the Phenix City/Russell County Chamber of Commerce.

Dennis P. Beson will take the job starting Jan. 2, the local chamber of commerce announced in a release Wednesday evening. His approval to succeed longtime chamber president and CEO Victor Cross came via the organization’s board of directors on Oct. 26. He will work with Cross — who has served with the local chamber a quarter century — during a transition period, the chamber said.

“I came to Phenix City in 1991,” Cross told the Ledger-Enquirer in 2010. “My father was ill and I was trying to get closer to Augusta, Ga., and this is as close as I could get. I interviewed with the Eufaula Chamber and the Phenix City Chamber and decided this is where I wanted to be.”

Beson, who worked with the Junction City chamber for two years, leaving that organization at the end of August, is expected to relocate to the Phenix City area by the end of this month, said Melissa Gauntt, who chaired the search committee for the new chamber leader.

“I am honored to join the Phenix City/Russell County Chamber of Commerce,” Beson said in a statement. “The chamber’s work is vital to the business community and I look forward to working with the chamber’s board, volunteers, staff and greater community to grow the organization and to promote the interest and ensure the livelihood of local businesses.”

Beson resigned from the Junction City chamber a month before his Aug. 30 departure there, according to The Daily Union, the Kansas community’s online news site. The city of nearly 24,000 people is about two hours west of Kansas City, Mo., and is home to the U.S. Army installation Fort Riley.

“My rationale for resignation is really about personal issues,” the Freeland, Mich., native told The Daily Union. “I have an aging father at home and both my daughters are back in Michigan. I just feel it’s time to get back to them and spend time with people that are close to me.”

Beson is a 1992 graduate of Michigan State University and is now attending the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Organization Management program at the University of Georgia and is expected to graduate in 2019, the chamber said. He also is the author of the book, “My Customer, My Co-Worker — The Key to Great Customer Service is The Customer.”

He will take charge of a Phenix City/Russell County Chamber of Commerce with more than 400 active members and a four-star accreditation with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The local chamber cited Beson’s work on economic development in Junction City among his attributes, along with his experience with military affairs and visitation to that area. Membership grew 25 percent during his tenure there, the Phenix City Chamber said.

Working with a national search firm, Charlotte, N.C.-based Swingbridge Consulting LLC, the Phenix City search committee fielded more than 30 resumes from applicants seeking the job.

“We had many strong candidates from throughout the country. Dennis Beson was the ideal choice,” Gauntt said. “He brings a wealth of experience in management and chamber operations to the chamber. With his exceptional background and experience he is uniquely positioned to represent every stakeholder in our business community. He is an experienced business executive and a proven leader with political acumen.”

This story was originally published November 8, 2017 at 7:47 PM with the headline "Michigan native to lead the Phenix City/Russell County Chamber."