Ozark chamber director joins Show Me Christian County

Photo provided by Show Me Christian County

Anna Evans is slated to start in March as Show Me Christian County's vice president of business retention and expansion.

Ozark Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Anna Evans is joining the Show Me Christian County economic development organization.

Evans is scheduled to start next month as the organization's vice president of business retention and expansion, according to a news release. She joins former colleague Andrea Sitzes, president and CEO of SMCC, who led the Ozark chamber prior to Evans.

"I couldn't ask for a more qualified leader to fulfill this new role," Sitzes said in the release. "Anna has helped craft our vision, understands our communities and is one of the most dedicated professionals I've ever worked with."

The third employee for the organization, Evans joins SMCC as it seeks to grow its annual budget to roughly $360,000, said Sitzes. The SMCC board has identified a $500,000 stretch goal for the five-year plan dubbed StepUp Christian County, she said via email.

The organization's current budget is $150,000, Sitzes said. The original funds for SMCC were raised by Steve Childers, Ozark city administrator, and Brian Bingle, former Nixa city administrator, Sitzes added, noting they secured pledges from 41 investors with five-year memorandums of understanding.

The SMCC, which celebrates its third anniversary in March, identified in the StepUp plan it would seek funding in partnership with area businesses, public institutions, community leaders and individual stakeholders. The largest individual figure in the budget goal is $100,880 per year for business retention and expansion. It also comprises $72,000 annually for business attraction; $68,400 for entrepreneurship initiatives; $64,800 for workforce and talent recruitment; and $54,000 for marketing.

At the chamber, an executive director selection committee is being formed with representatives from community partner organizations, Evans said via email.

With 375 members, the Ozark chamber ranked No. 6 on Springfield Business Journal's recently published list of the area's largest chambers of commerce. While the organization declined to disclose its annual budget for the Jan. 4 list, officials reported two employees and 30 volunteers.