The local chamber of commerce director has tendered his resignation to take the reins of a North Carolina economic development agency.

     He’s leaving one Lincoln County and headed to another.

     Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Cliff Brumfield will step down in December and is headed to Lincolnton in Lincoln County, North Carolina. There, he will be executive director of the Lincoln County Economic Development Association.

     Chamber leaders praised Brumfield’s work and said he’ll be missed.

     “Cliff has been a tremendous asset for us,” said Doug Boykin, current chamber president. “We hate to see him go and we wish him well.”

     His time in Brookhaven has been positive, Brumfield said.

     “My family and I have loved every minute of being in Brookhaven and Lincoln County,” Brumfield said. “I feel privileged to have worked for one of the top economic development organizations in Mississippi. I’m not leaving over any dissatisfaction with the area.”

     Boykin and Brumfield both estimated the chamber vacancy could take several months to fill. The chamber executive committee will lead the job search and select a candidate.

     The 2013 executive committee will be the immediate past president, Doug Boykin; the 2013 president, Pat Lowery; the president-elect for the following year, Dustin Walker; and Industrial Development Foundation Chairman Bill Jacobs.

     “We are going to do a search to get the best and brightest to keep things going,” Boykin said.

     There should be no shortage of strong candidates to replace him, Brumfield believes.

     “The reputation of the community will be a strong draw for talent,” he said.    

     Boykin said the chamber wants to ensure Brumfield’s successor can continue to build on the past successes the chamber has achieved.

     Brumfield assumed the leadership of the local chamber in January 2005. Reviewing his tenure, Brumfield highlighted his role in the creation of the Linbrook Business Park as a major accomplishment he’s proud of.

     The day-to-day success of the chamber has been another highlight for Brumfield.

     “We’ve had strong chamber growth,” Brumfield said. “Perhaps the most positive experience I’ve had has been the strong support of our membership.”

     Brumfield will be doing much the same work he’s done in Brookhaven at his new job in North Carolina.

     “My charge will be the expansion of the local tax base and the creation and support of new jobs,” Brumfield said.

     The job’s location was a strong draw for him, Brumfield said,

     “My wife (Rachel) and I love that part of the country,” Brumfield said, adding that he has a brother in nearby Charlotte, N.C.

     However, Brookhaven won’t be forgotten,

     “We’ll definitely keep Brookhaven and Lincoln County Mississippi as part of our lives,” Brumfield said.