The board of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce has appointed Lenn Chandler to serve as interim President and CEO while a national search is conducted to find the permanent replacement for Doc Eldridge, who is resigning March 1. Chandler, the retired Vice President of the Northeast Region for Georgia Power, has previously served on the Chamber Board.

Chandler will not be a candidate for the permanent position.

“I am honored to serve the Chamber during this important time of transition,” said Chandler. “The Chamber plays a critical role in Athens community. I enjoyed my time on the board and look forward to working with and supporting the business community in the Athens area.”

In his role as the regional vice president, Chandler was responsible for Georgia Power operations in 22 counties. His responsibilities included providing leadership of the company’s operations, sales, customer service, economic and community development, and external affairs activities for 176,000 Georgia Power customers in an area that included Athens, Greensboro, Madison, Winder, Gainesville, Dahlonega, Cornelia, Clayton, Toccoa and Hartwell.

He joined Georgia Power in 1985 as an information resources analyst. He held positions of increasing responsibility in distribution, information technology, customer service and region operations. He received a bachelor’s degree in business information systems from the University of West Georgia in 1985. He has completed numerous leadership development programs during his career with Georgia Power, including Leadership Georgia in 2003 and Leadership Atlanta in 2011.

In recent years Lenn has served as the President of the Northeast Georgia Council of Boy Scouts Board, Chair - Mercy Health Center Board of Directors, a member of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and a member of the Georgia Workforce Development Board as well as a member of the Athens Rotary Club. Currently Lenn serves as the Chair of the St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation Board and the advisory board member for Mercy Health Center. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Northeast Georgia Council of Boy Scouts, Athens Touchdown Club, Georgia Chapter of the National Football Hall of Fame.

“The Board is grateful that Lenn is willing to step in and serve as the Chamber conducts a search for new leadership,” said Shannon Wilder, board chair. “We are confident that under his leadership, this will be a smooth transition for the organization.”