Two Meredith organizations sharing same executive director

MEREDITH — The Greater Meredith Program and Meredith Area Chamber of Commerce have been working on parallel tracks for years, both with the same general focus of improving the economic fortunes of this lakeside town, and working with many of the same people to do so. This year, they are growing closer than ever, with the same person now holding the title of executive director for both organizations.

Mike Griffin, who has been the executive director for GrMP since July 2021, has just assumed the same role for the town's chamber. But leaders of both organizations don’t call it a merger. Instead, it’s a “bridge,” as Wendy Bagley, president of the chamber board, put it.

“This is not a merger,” she emphasized. The two organizations will remain their own distinct identities. They have to, in fact. Even though they’re both registered nonprofits, they fall into different 501(c) definitions. One is funded through donations with the mission to serve the public, the other uses membership dues for its revenue and its role is to serve its members.

The unusual arrangement came about because of a need that the chamber had in September, when it lost its previous director. Griffin, whose role as head of the GMP is part time, applied.

“We searched for applicants, got a few, and here we are,” Bagley said. Hiring Griffin allows the Meredith Area Chamber to avoid the need to merge with another regional chamber of commerce, she noted, while also improving the communication and, likely, collaboration between two organizations that already play in the same sandbox and with very similar missions.

Griffin isn’t new to the area, having worked in Meredith since 2009, but his career in nonprofit leadership represents a shift for him. His earlier line of work was in special education for the Inter-Lakes School District. It was the experience of teaching during the pandemic that made him look for other professional opportunities, he said.

“After teaching online for a year, I really wanted to do something for public leadership, and the GMP job appeared at the right time,” Griffin said. As it turned out, he had already come to know many of the people behind the scenes at the Greater Meredith Program through its Career Partnership Program, which gives local high school students a close-up look at job opportunities available in their hometown.

The Greater Meredith Program, founded in 2004 as a community development organization, seeks to promote economic vitality, the history and culture of the community, and to support town beautification projects. Meanwhile, the Meredith Area Chamber of Commerce works to help its members — mostly small businesses — thrive.

Both organizations are at their best when they are collaborating with other parties, be they local businesses, municipal or educational departments, or like-minded organizations. Bagley said the Meredith chamber has worked closely with the GMP since Griffin joined, and the prospect of that cooperation increasing is attractive to both organizations.

“One hand knows what the other hand’s doing now,” Bagley said. Both organizations will continue to with their own programming, she added.

“He’s come so far bringing us together. Everybody on both of our teams are very positive about hiring Mike and having him on our side.”

Lynn Leighton, president of GMP, said her organization also supported the idea of having their director assume leadership of another organization.

“We are a small community. It just made sense for us to work together,” Leighton said.

“Mike knows everybody, he’s been here a year and a half at this point. He’s an amazing executive director, he’s an amazing person, it just made sense.”

The “bridging” of the two organizations comes at a time when the town is hoping to rebound after pandemic years that local businesses endured “fairly well,” as Bagley said. But there’s work to do. Both Leighton and Bagley pointed to the lack of affordable housing for prospective employees.

Griffin said another persistent goal is encouraging local young people to return home after their post-secondary education to pursue their professional lives.

“Ultimately we want them to come back, where there’s stable work, and where they can have their fun,” Griffin said.

In the nearer term, GMP is organizing a spring fundraising event with a Kentucky Derby theme. The Meredith chamber is already at work on its application process for the Lakes Region Fine Arts and Crafts festival, which takes place in August.

Griffin said he feels pulled toward the work that both the GMP and the chamber do.

“If I had to be in a position where I had to pick one organization over the other, I would have still volunteered my time for the other organization,” Griffin said.

“I think both organizations are awesome and are doing great things for the community.”