Randy Halfacre

Randy Halfacre, president/CEO of the Greater Lexington Chamber and Visitors Center, was named South Carolina Executive of the Year last week by the Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. The award was presented at CACCE’s annual conference on Pawleys Island.

“His sense of regionalism, cooperation, and intergovernmental relations stood out,” said Liz Horton, the 2011 South Carolina Executive of the Year, who helped judge the contest. Halfacre’s nomination also pointed out that membership had increased 16.5 percent since January 2010, membership retention was more than 80 percent, and a revamped website created sponsorship opportunities and revenue that topped $70,000, all during the worst economy in recent times.

“We really noticed that $70,000,” added Horton, executive director of the Kershaw County Chamber and Visitors Center in Camden.

Halfacre’s nomination detailed his public policy work, including organizing the MidState Chambers Coalition to improve the region’s inter-jurisdictional cooperation and relations between both the public and private sector, and galvanizing the legislative battle to keep Amazon in Lexington County. The nomination also included comments from Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, Lexington Rep. Todd Atwater, District One Superintendent of Schools Karen Woodward, First Community Bank President/CEO Mike Crapps, and Lexington Chamber chairman Mike Flack and immediate past chair Barbara Willm.

Halfacre was fast to credit others for the honor. “From my perspective, getting an award of this nature is analogous to successful economic development practices and strategies. It’s a ‘team sport’ with many different moving parts and players,” he said. “Consequently, I could not have received this award without all the support and cooperation of many, many individuals, particularly the ‘blue chip’ staff at our Chamber. You can’t vie or win championships without ‘blue chip’ players!”

The CACCE Executive of the Year Nomination Committee bases its decision on specific accomplishments relating to the nominee’s effectiveness in addressing challenges, work development and implementation, fiscal management, community involvement, stature and leadership in the community; personal attributes, and professionalism.

CACCE is a professional development organization dedicated to improving the professional development opportunities for chamber of commerce executives and key staff members in North and South Carolina. The organization was formed in 1994 when the North and South Carolina state chamber associations merged.

Halfacre was also elected to CACCE’s board of directors last week as well, and will serve from 2012 to 2015.