The incoming president and chief executive officer of the Greater Richmond Chamber said yesterday he is ready to tackle an agenda that includes workforce development and regional transportation needs.

Many of those same issues were prevalent in Tampa, Fla., where Kim Scheeler has been president and CEO of the chamber of commerce for seven years.

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"Transportation is an issue everywhere," said Scheeler, who starts work with the Greater Richmond Chamber on Aug. 25.

He attended his first chamber board meeting yesterday to introduce himself to business leaders. He also praised the work already done by the group's staff and volunteers, and his predecessor, James W. Dunn, who retired June 30 after nearly 18 years with the local business organization.

The local chamber has a national reputation, which is part of what attracted him to the job, Scheeler said.

Initially reluctant to leave Tampa, Scheeler said he was persuaded to come to Richmond after several visits to the area and meetings with a search committee.

"The more I got to know about the community, and the more people I met here, the easier it was to say, 'yeah, that's where I want to make the next step in my career,'" said Scheeler, who turns 54 the day before he begins his new position.

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The Fort Wayne, Ind., native said he had spent little time in the Richmond area before a 'headhunter' approached him about the chamber job. He was impressed with the Richmond region's diversified economy, its large number of corporate headquarters, and the business community's commitment to the chamber.

"There seems to be a tremendous sense of corporate responsibility here that you don't see as much in other places around the country," he said in an interview after the meeting.

Among his preparations for the job, Scheeler said he has read an evaluation of the Richmond region released last year by consultant James A. Crupi. Commissioned by 40 local business executives and companies, the report said the area lacks regional planning and cooperation and needs an overall vision for the future.

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"My impression when I read the report was that there are a lot of really great things happening at a tactical level in the community -- a lot of people working on neat stuff. But there is not an overarching strategy that ties it all together," Scheeler said, adding that the recent formation of a task force to address the recommendations is a good step.

In addition to local transportation needs, Scheeler said he wants to emphasize the importance of early childhood education for the long-term economic health of the region, and he wants to continue efforts to groom young professionals for leadership roles.

"Young folks today are not interested in waiting until they are 40 or 50 before they get a chance to be leaders," he said. "They want to do it now. Let's take that energy, enthusiasm and excitement and put it to work, because if you don't they are going to go somewhere else."
Contact John Reid Blackwell at (804) 775-8123 or jblackwell@timesdispatch.com.