Chamber names Roland Dorson new President

Roland M. Dorson, a fifteen-year executive of the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, was named the organization’s new president today. The announcement was made by Gene Zink, the chairman of the Chamber’s Board.

“Roland has demonstrated his value to the Chamber and his commitment to its future. We look forward to his leadership as the organization moves to the next level of accomplishment,” Zink said.

The Chamber’s search committee was chaired by past board chair Joe Barnette. He said that the committee reviewed more than 40 resumes and invited eight candidates for interviews. “One candidate withdrew before the interview so we met with seven highly talented business people from Indiana and four other states.” He added that six of the candidates were employed by and had experience with chamber groups.

Dorson joined the Chamber in 1991 as Executive Vice President. His previous jobs included vice president of the Indiana Retail Council, merchandise program development manager for a major Indianapolis retailer, media director and caucus assistant in the Indiana state senate and press secretary for a gubernatorial campaign.

He serves on a number of community boards including: United Way of Central Indiana, the Asian American Alliance and Fostering Commercial Urban Strategies (FOCUS) and has hosted a local radio show, “Inside the Chamber,” for four years.

Dorson was selected for the Anthem-sponsored Diversity Leadership Academy in 2004 and received the Diversity Advocate award from the Asian American Alliance in 2002. He is a 1997 graduate of the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series and a 1987 graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management at the University of Notre Dame. He visited Israel as part of the Jewish Federation Young Leadership program in 1988.

A native of Bloomington, Indiana, Dorson is an Indiana University graduate. He is married to Patti Freeman Dorson, an attorney in private practice, and has two sons, Ben, a sophomore at North Central and Daniel, an 8th grader at Northview Middle School.

Dorson will assume his new responsibilities on January 1 to coincide with the departure of John Myrland who is leaving the Chamber after 25 years to pursue a new career in the United Methodist Church.

The Indianapolis Chamber is recognized as one of the most accomplished metropolitan chambers in the country having received recognition from American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) in 2004 as one of the three top chambers in the country for achievements in membership growth and was awarded the top communications honor in 2005.

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Founded in 1890 by Colonel Eli Lilly and a group of Indianapolis business leaders, the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce is the voice of the central Indiana business community. Today, with a membership of nearly 4,000 businesses, the Indianapolis Chamber is still a voice of progress and improvement, bringing together businesses for a thriving community. For more information on the Chamber, visit indychamber.com.