{"id":49744,"date":"2025-07-08T21:50:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T21:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/49744\/"},"modified":"2025-07-08T21:50:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T21:50:18","slug":"dallas-regional-chambers-longtime-ceo-to-leave-post-search-begins-for-new-leader-dallas-innovates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/49744\/","title":{"rendered":"Dallas Regional Chamber’s Longtime CEO To\u00a0Leave Post, Search Begins for\u00a0New Leader \u00bb Dallas Innovates"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Dallas Regional Chamber President and CEO Dale Petroskey [Photo: Dallas Regional Chamber]<\/p>\n

The longtime leader of the Dallas Regional Chamber has announced he intends to leave his role as president and CEO of the organization at year\u2019s end after nearly 12 years of leadership.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dale Petroskey, who turns 70 in the coming weeks, cited personal reasons for his decision, including a desire to be more available for his family after his wife, Ann, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love this job and wish it could go on forever, but nothing lasts forever,\u201d Petroskey said in an email to the DRC board of directors. \u201cThis time is right for me and my family, and it\u2019s right for the DRC.\u201d<\/p>\n

Transition plans<\/p>\n

Petroskey said his goal is to have a successor in place for the DRC\u2019s 2026 Annual Meeting on January 27 at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. Petroskey said that the timing of his departure presents the next CEO with the opportunity to take ownership of the process for developing the DRC\u2019s 2027-2029 Strategic Plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoever succeeds me will be stepping into one of the most interesting and rewarding jobs in America,\u201d Petroskey said. \u201cI\u2019ll miss being in the middle of the action every day, meeting interesting new people, and connecting good people to other good people who can help one another. That\u2019s the nature of this job and one of the reasons I enjoy it so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

The DRC said it has retained executive search firm Russell Reynolds to lead the search for Petroskey\u2019s successor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be running hard every day from now until the end of the year because we still have a lot of important work to do,\u201d Petroskey said. \u201cI want this selection process and the transition to be flawless so that the next CEO can take the DRC to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the DRC\u2019s board meeting this Thursday, July 10, Chair Jim Springfield, who is president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, will propose a selection committee to work with Russell Reynolds. The proposed committee will be composed of past and future board chairs, including Springfield.<\/p>\n

\u201cDale is an exceptional leader who has elevated the Dallas Regional Chamber to new heights,\u201d Springfield said in a statement. \u201cHis visionary approach, love of people, and commitment to going above and beyond traditional chamber work have made our region stronger and more competitive. I know I speak for many in our community when I say we will miss his leadership tremendously, but we\u2019re grateful for the strong foundation he\u2019s built and his commitment to a smooth transition process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boosting regional growth and giving<\/p>\n

Petroskey became DRC president and CEO on April 1, 2014.<\/p>\n

Under his leadership, the chamber\u2019s annual budget has grown by more than 50%, allowing North Texas\u2019 largest and only regional chamber to deploy money back into the community for high-impact initiatives, including $700,000 for the successful \u201cTake Care of Business\u201d campaign to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19; a minimum of $500,000 for the newly launched \u201cSafe in the City\u201d campaign to drive business development through community vibrancy in Dallas\u2019 downtown; and positioning the Dallas Region as a hub for high-potential industries, including life sciences and applied artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n

The DRC said its leadership of economic development efforts for the region has seen more than 300 companies choose the region for their headquarters since 2010. Also, during Petroskey\u2019s tenure at the DRC, the number of Fortune 500 companies in Dallas-Fort Worth has grown by 33% and more than 70 Fortune 1000 companies are DRC members.<\/p>\n

The DRC said that Petroskey\u2019s approach to establishing it as an \u201cabove-and-beyond chamber\u201d culminated in 2022, when the DRC was named the National Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.<\/p>\n

Petroskey\u2019s leadership earned him D CEO\u2019s Non-Profit & Corporate Citizenship Leadership Excellence Award in 2024 and induction into Junior Achievement\u2019s Dallas Business Hall of Fame in 2025.<\/p>\n

Before joining the DRC, Petroskey had other notable career achievements, including service as assistant White House press secretary to President Ronald Reagan, senior vice president at the National Geographic Society, and president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe good news is I still have six months to go, and I\u2019m going to savor every moment,\u201d Petroskey said.<\/p>\n

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\tR E A D\u00a0\u00a0 N E X T\t<\/p>\n