By Michael Butler

Jerry Cunningham has served as executive director of the Tallassee Chamber of Commerce since 2017. Soon he will relinquish those duties moving towards semi-retirement.

Cunningham, 65, a long-time school music teacher, will continue as director with the McCraney-Cottle Arts Council, music director at First Methodist Church and public address announcer for Tallassee High football games, but will hang up his Chamber hat on May 1.

“I came to the realization that maybe it’s time. I’m backing off in a lot of ways. I’ve got some things to do around the house,” Cunningham said. “I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of really good people to work with. I’ve gotten to meet a lot of people. In working with the Chamber, you try to find your own path. I found what I thought worked best with our resources and my strengths. Somebody else might have a different path. The bottom line is to work with the community.”

Cunningham will work through the transition of a location change over the next month. The offices are moving from the downtown district to City Hall on April 1.

“We’ll hopefully be getting things in place,” he added, “and I hope we’ll have someone in place by May 1. It’s really the board’s decision not mine. The board did ask me to be a part of that. It is a part-time position. If you have a care for this community, apply. Organizational and people skills are the two biggest things.”

Among the new additions to the Chamber umbrella during Cunningham’s tenure was the advent of the annual “Summer Fest” each June.

“It’s the biggest thing we have, bigger than Trade Day,” he said. “We picked up the Holiday Market. It was not the Chamber’s responsibility, the parade was. We did the lighting downtown. My son-in-law Cody Moore, my son Jordan, James Lyons and I have agreed to continue to do the work, if the Chamber wants.”

Cunningham hopes a secretary might be added once the new director is selected.

“I was doing things out there on my feet, so to speak. The website is not something I put a lot of effort into. It’s necessary. I think if you have a heart for Tallassee, you should consider it. You put into it what you want. I put extra time in because I enjoyed it.”