Griffen resigns from ROCIA
After three years serving as the Executive Director of the Red Oak Chamber and Industry Association, Paul Griffen is moving on.
Griffen issued his letter of resignation, effective immediately, at the ROCIA board meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Griffen said he’s resigning to pursue other opportunities.
“I can’t elaborate on the opportunities at this time, but it’s got several things that I’m working on right now. I’ve been with the ROCIA for the past three years, and really helped set a new course for the chamber,” Griffen said.
During Griffen’s tenure, the chamber changed its day-to-day operations, operations on the local level, and operations on the statewide level.
“We’ve really got those things in place. That’s where the organization we have now came from, in regards to an economic development director, a chamber director, and an administrative assistant. There’s a great staff in place to do those things, with Elaine Carlson and Angie Britten. My purpose was to get that set up, I did, and now it’s time for me to pursue other things,” Griffen commented.
During his tenure, Griffen said there were several accomplishments he was very proud of.
“One shining star is the connection we’ve made in developing a career path between the industry in Red Oak, and the students in the Red Oak School District. I’m also proud of the work we’ve done outside of Red Oak. Going up to commercial real estate summits and letting them know that Red Oak is here, and letting them know that Omaha is another part of Red Oak, rather than the other way around,” Griffen advised.
It was thanks to the hard work of many people that helped him get the initiatives and accomplishments in place, and those initiatives are being noticed at a statewide level.
“We’re getting quite a bit of recognition, and that has helped bring some businesses into town,” commented Griffen.
While he’s resigning from the chamber, Griffen said none of his other outside activities will change, such as the Red Oak School Board.
“I don’t plan on moving at this point. I plan on staying in Red Oak for quite some time. Things can change depending on how the opportunities develop, but right now, I have no plans to move from Red Oak,” said Griffen.
With Griffen’s resignation, ROCIA Chamber Director Angie Britten said she’ll be overseeing some of Griffen’s former role.
“In the meantime, I will be the contact here for any needs. People can also contact me in regards to the $10,000 bounty program for the Acorn Two spec building. The ROCIA board has a great relationship with the contact committee, so it’s a team effort. We will be able to keep moving and maintain all efforts that have been in the works,” Britten said.
Britten said there is no timeline in place to name a replacement for Griffen’s position in the chamber.
“The contact committee and the association board will work together to evaluate the position and the structure, and decide where to go from here. They’ll take an in-depth look at the position and decide what they want out of the role, and what they want out of the person who fills that role, so it’s a good match,” commented Britten.