Dallas Regional Chamber Adds Experienced CFO/COO and Vice President of Membership, Among Others

DALLAS (March 03, 2010)… The Dallas Regional Chamber is pleased to announce a number of senior team members to its growing staff. Recent additions include the appointment of Pat Priest as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Schmiel as Vice President of Membership and Nancy Davis to the position of Director of Economic Development.

“We are building a team of highly experienced individuals to help the Chamber grow and support our large membership base,” said Chamber President James C. Oberwetter.

Pat Priest
Most recently Priest served as Chief Financial Officer of The Kor Group, an investment, development, and management firm specializing in the hospitality and multi-family industries. Prior to Kor, Priest served as Managing Director, Chief Financial Officer, and member of the Board of Directors of The Beck Group, a multi-national architecture, construction, and development company.

In her role as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer Priest will work to enhance the Chamber organization and support the goal of achieving greater regional prosperity through economic development of the region.

Priest holds a BBA from the University of North Texas and an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas.

“I am delighted to be able to build on the great work done by the Chamber. As an active member of the Chamber in prior years, I know the value that comes from working together to achieve common goals for the community,” Priest said.

Jennifer Schmiel
Schmiel brings more than 10 years of Chamber experience, having most recently worked for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and Greater Houston Partnership.

In this position, Schmiel will direct the Chamber’s membership growth, business involvement, and customer service efforts.

"We are excited to have Jennifer on our senior leadership team," said Chamber President Oberwetter. "She is a results-oriented professional with breadth and depth of experience in major metro-area business organizations. I know she will energize our member services and bring exciting new ideas to the table."

Schmiel is an award-winning Chamber membership executive, recognized by the former National Association for Membership Development (NAMD) and American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) for her innovative programs and initiatives over the past 10 years.

Schmiel holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University and a Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of Houston.

Nancy Davis
For the past 15 years Nancy Davis has provided business development services in the architectural and commercial real estate industry. She has served on the Board of Directors for CoreNet Global’s Southwest Chapter and as a board member for the commercial real estate association NTCAR. In addition, she has been very active with The Real Estate Council and NAIOP in Dallas, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona.

Davis earned a Bachelor of Interior Design degree from Louisiana State University and holds a current real estate license registered with the State of Texas.

“Nancy understands corporate real estate issues, has great connections in the real estate and development community, and has already demonstrated a real knack for working with corporate projects and area economic developers, “said Mike Rosa, Vice President Economic Development.

The Dallas Regional Chamber is the area’s leading membership-driven business organization committed to promoting prosperity through sound public policy, focused economic development, member education and engagement. The Chamber is a not for profit organization committed to the betterment of our region. Its membership of approximately 2,500 businesses represents over 600,000 employees, all members of the North Texas business community.

Contact information:

Pat Priest
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Operating Officer
Dallas Regional Chamber
Direct: 214.746.6770
Email: ppriest@dallaschamber.org

Jennifer Schmiel
Vice President, Membership
Dallas Regional Chamber
Direct: 214-746-6729
Email: jschmiel@dallaschamber.org

Nancy Davis
Director Economic Development
Dallas Regional Chamber
Direct: 214-746-6731
Email: ndavis@dallaschamber.org