The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce (GSCC) has hired Illinois State Representative Mike Murphy to serve as its next President & CEO. He will take the helm on December 1. Murphy was elected as a state representative for the 99th District in 2018 and won re-election in 2020. Recent changes to the district maps would have forced him to run against longtime ally Avery Bourne.
Murphy stated, “The opportunity to lead The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce is extremely exciting and humbling for me. I understand the importance of a vibrant economy and appreciate the hard work that our local businesses do to make Springfield a special place to live.
I want to thank Chris Hembrough for the great work he has done and look forward to building on the foundation we have to take Springfield and Sangamon County to even greater heights.”
Murphy was also a small business owner, running Charlie Parker’s Diner from 2009-2017, and has served in multiple executive and management roles in private industry throughout his career.
Chamber Chairman Mark Donovan said, “Mike’s unyielding advocacy for the business community at the state level, his reputation in our community, and his vision for taking The Chamber to the next level made him the ideal candidate for the position. Our Board agreed unanimously”. The Search Committee considered over 36 candidates from the Central Illinois region.
