Friday was the last day on the job for Rick Childrey, the President of the Smithfield Selma Chamber of Commerce. Childrey retired after a 30 year career with the organization.
In an email to chamber members Childrey said, “I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support of the Greater Smithfield-Selma Area Chamber of Commerce, its mission and its goals, over the last many years. The Chamber is positioned well to continue to provide services to you and to actively promote the Smithfield-Selma area.”
Childrey became the Chamber Executive in March 1986 after working for eight years at Bristol Myers Squibb in Kenly. Active in the North Carolina Jaycees, he took his experiences to the Chamber and led or created several initiatives, including the move and renovation of the Yelvington-Lee House for the Chamber office, the creation of Leadership Johnston and the development of education support programs such as the Flame For Learning Award, Semester Superstars and Academic Achievers functions. More recently, public policy involvement and the Women’s Business Network have become important functions at the Chamber.
In 1995 he was named an Honorable Hero of the Johnston County School System and in 2005 the Chamber’s Citizen of the Year.
Childrey announced in late-September he would step down at the end of 2016. A search committee is now looking for a permanent replacement.
