The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce announced a new executive leadership team serving its 1,850 members across the region.  Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jeff Dafler, who took the helm January 1, named Kelly Piero to the position of vice president – marketing and membership strategy to lead the chamber’s newly integrated Marketing and Membership departments.  Piero will serve as a member of the chamber’s executive leadership team along with Collyn Floyd, vice president – events and strategic initiatives, Melissa Coultas, vice president – development and partnership relations, and Dafler.

“As I begin my tenure as president and CEO, I am grateful to serve alongside such a dedicated, dynamic and capable team,” said Dafler.  “Kelly, Collyn, Melissa and I, as the Canton Regional Chamber’s executive leadership team, are committed to cultivating economic growth and community vitality with our partners across the region and pursuing new opportunities to support the success of our members.”

To strengthen communication and engagement with members, the chamber is integrating the work of its marketing and membership functions.  Piero, who led the organization’s Marketing and Communication and ystark! departments, has been promoted to the position of vice president – marketing and membership strategy and will oversee the work of the combined teams.

“Kelly’s talents as a strategic, dynamic and innovative leader make her the perfect choice to guide our efforts to strengthen member engagement and ensure we are creating unique value for every one of our 1,850 chamber members,” said Dafler.  “While member success is ‘Job One’ for every chamber staff member, Kelly and her team will spearhead work to create a Member Success Plan for members in the coming year.”

As vice president – events and strategic initiatives, Collyn Floyd will continue to lead the Canton Regional Chamber’s six-person events team and serve as director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival, which generates more than $40 million of economic impact each year in Stark County alone.  Additionally, Floyd will be responsible for developing new strategic initiatives to support member success, economic growth and community vitality flowing out the more than 75 business and community events the chamber has planned for 2024.

“Collyn is a master at strategizing how to translate events and programs into measurable positive impact on our economy and communities,” said Dafler.  “Going forward, she will work with our team and external partners to identify, create and execute new programs and initiatives to create additional value for the chamber, our members and our community.”

Rounding out the chamber executive leadership team is Melissa Coultas, vice president – development and partnership relations.  In her role, Coultas is responsible for building and strengthening relationships with chamber partners and developing resources to support the organization’s efforts to cultivate economic growth and community vitality across the region.

“As a consummate relationship-builder, Melissa understands deeply that we are stronger together,” said Dafler.  “She works tirelessly to help our members find opportunities to engage with our broader work in ways that create value for them and advance our shared priorities for the region.  Her strategic insights and efforts to forge new bonds will be critical to our collective success.”

Building on this strong foundation, the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce will conduct a comprehensive strategic planning process in 2024. This initiative is designed to further align the chamber's strategic vision with the evolving needs and goals of chamber members and the broader community. Led by the executive leadership team and in collaboration with stakeholders across various sectors, the process will involve a thorough assessment of current programs, identification of new opportunities, and development of innovative strategies to foster economic growth, member engagement, and community vitality.