Ray Lattimore, president and chief executive officer of Marketplace Staffing, has been elected chairman of the Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce for 2011-2012.
Lattimore succeeds outgoing chairman Jack West in the position.
Joining him on the chamber’s executive committee are Garland Lane, vice chairman; Ray Overstreet, treasurer; and Sonya Shepherd as secretary.
Also named to the Board of Directors for 2011-2012 are Mark Willis, Matt Stanley, Paul Valentine, Allison Timmons, Andy Goodson, Mike Pitman, Maureen Lambe-Prater, and West, who will serve in a past-chairman’s role.
A native of Greenville, Lattimore began a 15-year professional career with the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company before founding Marketplace Staffing in 1996.
As chairman of the Fountain Inn Chamber, Lattimore will work closely with chamber staff and fellow board members to develop and coordinate long range and annual business plans to achieve the Chamber’s mission, develop and interpret policies, oversee finances, and ensure continued growth of membership and volunteerism while supporting collaboration with key community and governmental audiences.
“Ray is an outstanding businessman and leader, and has long proven his commitment to advancing the Fountain Inn and Upstate communities through his civic and professional involvements,” said John Hastings, president of the Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce.
“We are pleased and privileged to welcome such a dedicated community champion to this key position of leadership at the Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce.”
“I am extremely excited to take on this key role in leading the Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce, and envision an incredibly bright future for this community we are all so proud of,” said Lattimore. “Fountain Inn offers an incredibly appealing balance of business opportunity and quality of life, and I intend to keep our Chamber firmly positioned as a champion of economic growth and prosperity for all citizens.”
A Liberty Fellow and graduate of both Leadership South Carolina and Leadership Greenville, he has earned the Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR) credential, and is active on numerous boards and in multiple organizations across the Southeast.
He also has founded numerous additional businesses in the services and healthcare arenas.
Lattimore holds a B.A. degree in Business Administration from Southern Wesleyan University and has received Advanced Management Training from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
He also serves on the board of directors for the Carolinas Minority Supplier Development Council.
