Bowling Green Chamber selects new president and CEO to help guide future growth

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — As Bowling Green continues to grow, one of the organizations helping shape the region’s economic future is getting a new leader.

The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce has selected Jim Page as its next president and CEO, bringing a veteran chamber executive to one of Kentucky’s most active economic development organizations.

Page will officially begin his new role on July 20.

The selection follows a six-month search process led by the Chamber’s search committee and executive search firm Waverly Partners.

“After six months of comprehensive work by the appointed search committee and our selected executive search firm, Waverly Partners, the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has confirmed Jim Page as the next president and CEO of our chamber,” said Roddy Grimes, the Chamber’s 2026 chairman.

Grimes said Page’s experience stood out during the search process.

“Jim comes to Bowling Green with 25 years of professional experience, including 14 years in senior leadership and 11 years serving as a president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama,” Grimes said. “He brings proven experience in chamber leadership, membership growth, regional development, private investment and strategic planning work.”

Page most recently led Launch Regional Partnership, a nonprofit organization focused on advancing economic prosperity across a 13-county region in North Alabama. Prior to that, he spent more than a decade leading the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

During his tenure there, chamber membership grew by 40%, annual operating revenue more than doubled and the organization generated more than $10 million in private investment to support its initiatives.

For Page, the decision to come to Bowling Green was driven by both professional opportunity and the community itself.

“I’ve known for a long time that this is a great community, and I’ve had an admiration for this particular organization from afar,” Page said. “When the opportunity presented itself, I just knew in my gut that this is the type of place that’s got great economic momentum.”

The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce represents approximately 1,300 business partners and plays a major role in economic development, workforce initiatives and business advocacy throughout South Central Kentucky.

Page said one of his first priorities will be learning more about the community and the organizations already helping drive growth.

“I really want to get out and meet the community,” Page said. “I’m going to have a long schedule of meeting with community leaders and other partners that we have in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.”

Beyond building relationships, Page said workforce development and economic growth will remain key focuses.

“Workforce development and economic development are one and the same. Those can’t be separated,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure that our existing businesses and our existing industry have a pipeline of talent that can keep those jobs running.”

Page also pointed to Bowling Green’s connection to higher education as an opportunity for future growth and diversification.

“I’m a huge fan of college towns,” he said. “You’ve got great talent coming here from all over the country to get an education, but it also creates an opportunity to diversify the types of jobs here, especially from a technology perspective.”

As new technologies such as artificial intelligence continue to reshape industries, Page said communities will need to balance opportunities with challenges.

“We can embrace AI and new technology. We really don’t have any choice — it’s here,” Page said. “But let’s do it in a positive and productive way. Let’s embrace that and harness it and make it work for us.”

Page said he is not looking to change the direction of an organization that has already experienced significant success.

“I know that there are great things going on in this community, and I’m not coming in to reverse course or do something different,” he said. “I’m coming in to hopefully accelerate and enhance the great things that are already going on here.”

The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce has earned national recognition for its economic development efforts and serves businesses throughout Bowling Green, Warren County and the broader South Central Kentucky region.