Less than a year after she volunteered to serve as the Charlotte Black Chamber’s first executive director, Veronica Giles is leaving to pursue other career opportunities.

Giles told Qcitymetro.com of her decision just before the start of Thursday’s membership meeting. She declined to discuss her next move.

She said Friday, Aug. 19, would be her final day.

“I have a lot of opportunities,” she said. “I’m very fortunate. I’m blessed, but I really haven’t decided yet.”

Terry Jones, chairman of the Black Chamber's board of directors, said the governing body hopes to name an interim director in the coming days. "That person has been identified," he said.

Giles, who has a background in manufacturing, joined the Black Chamber in September 2010. She said at the time that her priority was to build membership. The organization has grown from 32 to 126 members since then, Giles said, but she did not reach the goal of 300 she set for herself in the first six months.

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Giles did succeed in raising the Black Chamber’s profile and adding new training and programs for minority business owners.

“I’m happy that the people who did come, I got to know them intimately,” she said. “I hope I have benefited them in some way. I hate leaving it. I had a vision of how far it could go, but due to the economy, I have to do something different.”

Giles said her parting advice to the Black Chamber is to work closely with potential members to learn what services they need.

“Especially in this economy,” she said, “there is a lot of need out there. The Chamber should be a place where people can come, build their revenue, lower their costs, gain information, have programs and have training to move to the next level.”

COMING MONDAY: Learn what’s new at the Charlotte Black Chamber.

Related stories:
Meet the Black Chamber's new executive director
Black Chamber launches new online jobs page
Black Chamber says it wants to make microloans

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