Springfield Business Journal_2021-05-17

SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 1 $2.00 · SBJ.NET MAY 17-23, 2021 · VOL. 41, NO. 43 40 YEARS • YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY Gary Fulbright is expected to exit CMH by year’s end. by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj.net Less than two years after his promotion to CEO of Citizens Memorial Hospital, Gary Fulbright is set to retire from the Bolivar-based rural health care system he’s worked at for nearly 40 years. Fulbright, 64, said he plans to retire Dec. 31. He was hired as controller in 1982 before his 2003 promotion to chief finan- cial officer. In January 2020, he succeeded Donald Babb as only the second CEO in the organiza- tion’s history. Babb retired at the end of 2019 after 38 years as CMH’s leader. Fulbright said he’s consid- ered retirement for the past six months. While much of his ten- ure as CEO has been during the coronavirus pandemic, he said that didn’t factor into his decision. Spending more time with family was his big influence. “I’ll be turning 65 later this year,” he said. “We’ve got a couple of twin grandsons. This will give me a little more time to spend with them.” Succeeding Babb as the health care system’s leader was never intended to be a long-term stint, Fulbright said. The boards of directors for CMH and the CMH Foundation, of which Fulbright is executive director, were informed of that intention before his promotion, he said. “I was upfront with the boards that I wanted to do it on a somewhat short-term basis,” he said. “I wanted to have a good transition from our previous CEO, which we’ve been able to do.” Patrick Douglas, CMH Board of Directors chairper- son, said retirement discussions had been ongoing for several weeks. “I kind of knew this was something that was on the horizon,” he said, noting he’s known Fulbright for CMH’s Fulbright sets retirement date Rural health system plans national search for next CEO – only its third in history See HEALTH on page 19 by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj. net A two-month search for a new leader of the Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce ended when longtime Springfieldian Greg Williams was tabbed as the organization’s presi- dent and CEO. Williams has nearly two decades of experience working with cham- bers of commerce, including a previ- ous economic development position at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. He started his new job May 3. “It was just something I saw as attractive and something I really pursued quite aggressively,” he said. Adam Kreher, Ozark Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors president, said Williams was chosen out of 35 applicants. He was one of six in- terviewed for the job by a 10-mem- ber selection committee com- prising representatives from the chamber, Ozark School District, and Christian County and city of Ozark government officials. “Greg was very composed, and he gave that professionalism that I felt like the chamber needs,” Kreher said, noting the title was changed from executive director prior to posting the job opening. “In or- der to try and capture the more s o p h i s t i c a t e d , next-level candi- dates, we decid- ed to change the position titling to president and CEO.” Ozark chamber names new leader Greg Williams brings over 20 years of economic development experience MCKENZIE ROBINSON See CHAMBER on page 26 TAKING THE REINS Greg Williams now is leading the chamber of commerce in the city of Ozark. 375 Ozark chamber membership REAL ESTATE A combination of low i nterest rates and limited in ventory is creating a rap id sales cycle for homes. PAGE 9