Cynthia (Cindy) Hopkins has been selected by the Easley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors to serve as the next President of the Easley Chamber. Hopkins comes to the Easley Chamber after serving the last 10 years as the Executive Vice President of the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce (Anderson, SC). She has also held management positions with the United Way of Anderson County and has previous experience in the banking industry.

In her role as Executive Vice President with the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce, Hopkins was responsible for day-to-day operations of the chamber, membership development and retention, as well as serving as the lead facilitator for numerous committees and boards that were sponsored by the Chamber. She was instrumental in the Anderson Chamber being selected as a nominee for Chamber of the Year by the American Association of Chambers of Commerce in 2008, 2009, and 2012. Currently, the Anderson Chamber is a finalist for National Chamber of the Year. Hopkins served on numerous boards including: Leadership Anderson, Align SC (a community partnership between the public schools and area industry) and board chair of the American Red Cross. She is a graduate of Leadership South Carolina, The Riley Institute of Furman University, and the Institute of Organizational Management of the United States Chamber of Commerce. She is also a graduate of Clemson University, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.

“We had some huge shoes to fill with the retirement of Kent Dykes. To say we hit a homerun with Cindy’s selection is an understatement.” said Dr. Brian Swords, Easley Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman. “Simply put, we’ve hit a grand slam. We wanted someone with proven chamber experience, who knew how to run a chamber and understood the needs of business, we have definitely found that.” said Swords.

According to Swords, the Board of Directors was looking for someone with a proven track record as a leader within a successful chamber. In addition, their criteria called for someone that understood and knew how to collaborate with business, industry, and government.

“We wanted someone with that understanding of how all of the pieces fit together- small business, industry, government and the community, and Cindy possesses that. The thing that stood out to our board was her proven ability to bring those different components together. We are very excited to have someone with her energy and drive for the Chamber.”

Hopkins, is slated to begin her role with the Easley Chamber on July 2nd.