Paulding County Chamber of Commerce, President/CEO, Carolyn Wright will retire at the end of this month after a decade long stint at the helm during which among other things, produced some tough challenges to overcome through a slumping economy.
In an [open] letter Ms. Wright thanked staff, members and residents. “It has been an honor to serve the business community of Paulding County. We have accomplished much over the past nine and half years. I am honored to have served this county. I look forward to seeing a great future for Paulding,” she said.
Ms. Wright worked toward the goals of increasing revenues while establishing Paulding’s Chamber budget apart from any government funding, but rather through annual programs and events as well as member investments. She managed to increase the budget by 50 percent over her years served while decreasing funds from the IBA down to its current zero dollars.
Ms. Wright also spawned several programs to help with the needs of small and midsized businesses, such as the Chairman’s Club, and also obtained private funding for Paulding’s Economic Development Organization, which has been supported by the Chamber together with additional funding coming from the county and the city of Dallas. But by her third year Paulding’s progress was stunted by bigger economic problems made even worse with the building industry hit hard, which had played so big a factor locally. And over the last year Chamber operations have undergone some additional belt tightening, she said, and economic development has slowed considerably.
“In Paulding’s current [business] climate, a chamber can’t accomplish what a chamber is supposed to accomplish,” she said. Wright said she’d like to see the Chamber and the Economic Development Organization retain their respective roles in the future and partner side-by- side, rather than overlap functions. “The Chamber works on helping the businesses that are here to help them grow, the EDO works on bringing jobs to Paulding and helping with any infrastructure needs with existing businesses and they partner, but that’s been a struggle ever since the EDO was established,” she said.
Wright said that despite the support from the Paulding Chamber’s Board of Directors for the effort to add limited commercial service to Paulding’s airport, by representing that position has meant she became the point person for derision over that issue. And she also agreed that the opposition to the opposition in terms of business leaders has largely failed to show up, which has helped enable a relatively small group to impact public policy.
She cites that concerns for confidentiality with regard to business practices or specific deals is often wrongly perceived as politicking and reluctance for transparency, but is instead tasked with always seeking to strike a delicate balance between openness and the business concerns involved.
Wright says she wonders what the business community or local government will do going forward to find alternative solutions to the problem of bringing jobs and/or new industries to Paulding. “I wish I was going out on a high note for this community...and that is hard for me because I’m a peacemaker; I bring people together...it’s all about making a difference, but when you can’t make a difference, it’s time to go,” she said.
Under her watch many projects throughout the county have completed or are underway, including Paulding’s WellStar Hospital, the Atlanta Film Studio, the Watson Complex, Silver Comet Field, the Richland Creek Reservoir, and two industrial parks.
Wright has served on several boards including the airport authority, the IBA, the Northwest Georgia Regional Development Authority and the Kennesaw State University President’s Community Board. Prior to working in Paulding, Wright was the President/CEO of the Barrow County Chamber from 2004-06. Her career in the Chamber and economic development industry has spanned 27 years.

Photo: submitted, Paulding Chamber