The Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce (GVCC) has appointed John McDonagh, publisher of the Vancouver Business Journal, as its permanent CEO.
McDonagh has been serving as the chamber’s interim CEO since December, following the departure of Kelly Love, who resigned as CEO to take a job at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center.
“The GVCC Board of Directors is thrilled John has accepted the president/CEO position,” said Eric Olmsted, GVCC board chair, in a press release. “After conducting an extensive search with highly qualified candidates, John’s long history of support for businesses and the community in Vancouver as well as his business and political acumen made him an ideal choice to lead the GVCC into the future.”
McDonagh will retain ownership and involvement with the Vancouver Business Journal, but will devote full-time effort as head of the GVCC. The journal will continue to publish without interruption.
“The entire staff at the Vancouver Business Journal is proud of John’s accomplishments and we all congratulate him on his new position,” said Steve McDonagh, business manager for the journal. “We look forward to continuing our long and mutually beneficial relationship with the GVCC, which will benefit our entire business community.”
Active in the community, McDonagh is involved with a number of organizations including the Clark County Fair Association, the Greater Clark County and Vancouver Rotary Clubs, Columbia River Economic Development Council (CREDC) and the School of Piano Technology for the Blind and Visually Impaired. He is also a past chair of both the Board of Directors for Share and the Vancouver Civil Service Commission.
“I have learned a great deal about the operations of the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce in my time as interim president/CEO,” said McDonagh. “The GVCC plays a critical role in the advancement of economic prosperity in our region and I’m excited and honored to be a part of it.”
McDonagh assumed the permanent CEO position at the chamber on April 1.