The Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce has a new interim leader at the helm as of Friday.
Mike Law was introduced as the new interim President and CEO via a news release Friday afternoon. Law, the owner and operator of Law Communications and Little Apple Radio, is a graduate of Emporia State University who, in addition to his 45-plus-year career in radio, has a lengthy background of volunteering and service on various boards and committees.
This includes serving on the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in Kansas City, the Emporia Area Chamber board, the ESU Foundation Board, and the ESU president search committee, which hired current President, Matthew Baker. As for his new role with the chamber, Law says this will be a “fairly new experience” for him, but one he is looking forward to with great anticipation.
As for what led him to decide to pursue this new role, Law says the timing just felt right.
In terms of immediate goals moving forward, Law says he does not “want to get way ahead of my skis” just yet, saying his first official week will help narrow that focus.
That said, Law tells KVOE News he does believe he brings a “fresh set of eyes” to the role that can be beneficial moving forward.
Chamber Board President Lisa Kirmer stated, “We are confident that Mike’s leadership, experience, and understanding of the Emporia business community will provide stability and strategic direction during this time,” said Lisa Kirmer, Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors. “His ability to build relationships and focus on the needs of our members will be invaluable.”
Law will assume his new responsibilities effective immediately as the Chamber continues searching for a permanent president and CEO. The move towards an interim CEO follows the departure of longtime president and CEO Jeanine McKenna last summer, followed by the separation from previous interim CEO Christian Keisler right before the Chamber’s annual meeting in early February.
